Ghost
by punklau
Summary: After the death of her boyfriend, AJ tries to carry on in life with her daughter, never really getting the answers she deserved or needed. Will she accept things as they are, and try and make some sort of a life out of what's left of her? Or will that gut feeling that has gotten her in trouble more often than not, reel her into something terrifying. (SEQUEL TO MIXED SIGNALS)
1. Ghost

**Ghost**

* * *

"Morning, April." Rocky smiled, walking into AJ's office with a folder as AJ looked up from her desk with a small smile, "These are the plates you wanted run. So far nothing." Rocky nodded to her, sitting down the folder as AJ nodded.

"Thanks, Rocky." AJ smiled.

"You ok?" Rocky asked her, sliding his hands in his pockets as AJ smiled up at him. For four years, all that people seemed to ask her, was if she was ok. And it wasn't that she didn't appreciate the concern of her friends, but every time they asked if she was ok, and it was a reminder that she wasn't.

"I'm fine." AJ nodded to him.

"Ok." Rocky said, winking to her playfully as she smiled, watching him leave the office and close the door behind him.

It had been four years since she had lost her boyfriend. That feeling she always had of being scared to lose him, had finally lived up to its expectations, and she was completely aware that if he hadn't taken the bullet that night, then it would have been her.

She had a hard time coming to terms with his death. She hadn't just lost her boyfriend, or her child's father, or her soulmate. She'd lost her bestfriend. The only person she could ever talk to about anything in the world. Now she felt like she couldn't talk to anyone. Life without him wasn't strange, it was just plain wrong, and she believed she would never get fully used to him not being in her life.

She didn't deal with his death so well, for the first year at least. She took time off work and Dan took care of Nova for the majority of the time. She felt like a terrible mother, but she wasn't fit to look after herself, never mind her daughter. She just wanted him there to tell her it'd be ok. To lift her spirits like only he could do. But he wasn't here, he never would be again, and that was a harsh reality she was trying to get used to.

Once shock had settled in, she began to focus on what was left of her boyfriend: Nova. She put her entire focus on raising her and providing a life for her that she and Punk promised to give her. It wasn't easy, but she done it, and she was the only thing that had gotten her through everything.

As always, she focused on her work too, but this time, it wasn't quite enough to make her forget about everything. Nothing could take her mind off of losing Punk, not even her job. She missed walking by his desk and squeezing his neck, she missed him walking into her office with coffee and a kiss, she missed him checking in on her after being in an interview for hours. He was in so many parts of her life, and trying to get used to him not being here was the hardest thing she'd ever had to go through.

"Knock knock." AJ looked up from her desk again as Seth walked into the office, a wrapped-up bundle in his arms as she smiled and stood up, "Someone wanted to meet their aunt." Seth smiled as Eve followed behind tiredly.

"He couldn't wait a second longer to come show him off." Eve rolled her eyes as AJ smiled and walked over to them, looking on at the baby boy in Seth's arms. He was only a few days old.

"He's adorable." AJ smiled, "He's so small." She looked up at them as they nodded, "And you look exhausted." AJ turned to Eve, wrapping her arms around her friend who hugged her back just as tightly.

"I am." Eve nodded, "But I needed some fresh air." She admitted, "And Seth was desperate to bring him in."

"He's gorgeous." AJ smiled, turning back to the baby boy, "He really suits the name Tyler." AJ nodded, "But I guess all babies suit their name once you give them it." She chuckled to herself.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Seth nodded, "I'm gonna go see Rocky." He told them, leaving the office as AJ smiled.

"He's so proud." AJ smiled to Eve who nodded and laughed lightly.

"Yeah, he's very hands on." Eve smiled, "Have you been busy?" She asked.

"A little. Nothing too crazy I guess." AJ shrugged, "I have to run an interview in an hour, so I was just clearing up everything I need to ask." She pointed over to her desk as Eve nodded.

"Well you take it easy." Eve nodded, "Don't be afraid to ask for help." She said as AJ nodded.

"I know." AJ said, "Don't worry about me, you have more important things to be focusing on." She said as Eve smiled.

"I'll let you get back to work." Eve said as AJ nodded, watching her leave the office as she headed back to her desk.

Everyone had to move forward with their lives. It was as simple as that. She didn't expect everyone to be grieving still. Life still had to go on and she knew that better than anyone, but it still felt cruel to watch everyone else excel with their lives whilst she felt like hers had been torn apart, and was still tearing more and more each day. Seth and Eve had just had their first child. Rocky had gotten married and still thrived with his job, and Dean… Dean was no longer with the force.

* * *

"Ok, put that piece there." Dan pointed, sitting on the couch in his house that night whilst watching Nova attempt a jigsaw puzzle.

"You need to get the edges first." Nova shook her head.

"Who told you that?" Dan asked.

"Mommy." Nova said, "Work from the outside into the inside." Nova said as Dan smiled.

"Alright, well let's see if we can find more of the edges then." Dan said, leaning forward, helping Nova as the front door opened and Nova shot up as her mother walked through the door.

"Mommy." Nova smiled, tackling her mother as soon as she got in the door as AJ smiled.

"Well hello to you too." AJ laughed, almost getting knocked off her feet as Dan smiled, "What are you doing, monster?" She asked, rubbing her daughter's head messily.

"A jigsaw." Nova said, taking her mother's hand and pulling her further into the living room as she showed her the progress of the jigsaw.

"Wow, baby. You've got a lot done so far." AJ crouched down.

"I bet your mom could help you finish that in no time." Dan said, "She loves putting pieces together." Dan winked as AJ smiled, "Go get your homework from the kitchen and put it into your bag." He said, standing up as Nova rushed off into the kitchen.

"Did she finish her homework?" AJ asked, standing up straight.

"Yeah. In all of five minutes." Dan chuckled to himself, "She's a bright kid." He nodded as AJ smiled to herself, "She had her dinner too."

"Good." AJ nodded, "Thank you for picking her up."

"April, c'mon. You don't have to thank me every day." He said, "It's part of my routine, having her here." Dan nodded as AJ smiled. He had been a great help to her throughout everything. The loss of his son had really hit him hard. Just when things were beginning to patch up between he and Punk, everything came crashing down, and Dan found that hard to deal with, but just like AJ, he put his focus into Nova, and doing his best to be there for her as much as he possibly could be to let AJ work, "Busy day at work?" He asked whilst Nova was in the kitchen packing her things up.

"Just the usual." AJ nodded.

"You're not still digging around for the men who killed Phil-"

"No." AJ shot him a glare, "But if I was, it's no one's business." She informed him as Dan just put his hands up and nodded.

"I just… don't want to see you unwell." Dan said.

"I can take care of myself. And Nova. I've been doing it for four years." She said as Dan nodded.

"I know, but… there are still people who care about you." Dan said, "I know life isn't the same for you and it won't probably ever be the same again, but Phil would want you to carry on with your life as normally as you can."

"I know he would." AJ folded her arms, "But it's not as easy." AJ said. She was beyond the stage of getting upset whenever someone mentioned his name. Now she just felt numb and empty. Like she had no soul. Like her only purpose in life was to survive somehow, and the worst part for her, was the scum, the evil men that took her boyfriend from her, that left her child fatherless… they were still out there.

"I know it's not." Dan nodded, "You've been incredibly brave. Braver than I thought. We just have to… keep doing what we're doing, getting on with our lives." He said as AJ nodded.

"Yeah, just like that." AJ sighed, watching as Nova ran back to her from the kitchen, "Ok, bubs. You lifted everything, yeah?" She asked as Nova nodded, "What do you say to Grandpa Dan for looking after you today?" She said as Nova ran to her grandpa and gave him a hug.

"Thanks grandpa." Nova smiled sweetly.

"Oh, it's my pleasure." Dan smiled, hugging her tightly before letting her go back to her mother, "You be good for your mother, ok?" He said, walking them out of the house as he watched them leaving down the steps and into the car. He always knew his son had found a strong woman to be with, but she had been remarkable throughout all of this. Her selfless need to put her daughter before everything was admirable, and Dan knew his son would be proud of her.

* * *

"Ok, say when." AJ said, standing in the kitchen later that night in her pyjamas whilst beginning to squish cream out onto Nova's hot chocolate as the five-year-old waited off until there was an overload of cream.

"When!" Nova smiled, standing in her own pyjamas after her bath.

"Would you like some hot chocolate with your cream?" AJ smiled as Nova chuckled. In a way, Nova had taken over Punk's place as her best friend. She wasn't just her daughter, she was the reason she got out of bed in the morning, the reason she took care of her health, she was her best friend in many ways, just like Punk, and maybe that was sad when she was just five years old, but it was true.

"Ok, you got it?" AJ asked, handing the mug down to Nova, "Careful now, it's warm." She warned as Nova nodded, carefully holding the mug with two hands as she walked over to the couch whilst AJ made her own mug.

"There's so much cream." Nova giggled as AJ smiled over at her, joining her on the couch beside her.

"How was school today?" AJ asked her with a smile as Nova began to tell her mother all about her day.

Life had to go on, as hard as it was without Punk. He wasn't coming back, and even after four years, she still had a hard time accepting that. Everything she was ever scared of, losing him, had happened, and now she felt dead inside, with love only for her daughter.

* * *

 _Four Years Ago…_

" _If we let him go home, he will end up dead." A man in a black suit said, standing beside Walter in Punk's private room at the back of the hospital, "That is, if he even makes it." He turned to Walter who ran his hand through his hair._

" _The man has a family, Carter." Walter turned to the taller man._

" _That's Agent Adams to you." Carter said, an older but official man said, "I don't care what the man has. We've been tracking these men for years. If we let him out if he recovers, they'll keep coming back, and we need them in the one place." Carter nodded._

" _What if the family go with him?" Walter asked, looking on at Punk, unconscious in the hospital bed, a breathing tube down his mouth, around his nose, drips in his hands and inner arms._

" _You know that's not how things work, Walter." Carter said, "He goes alone."_

" _His family should be allowed to go with him." Walter said, "He is one of my best police officers."_

" _I don't care." Carter said, "This is my job. Ok. Will you let me do my job?" He asked as Walter sighed, "I want him airlifted to a house that I'll set up. He'll be taken care of there." He nodded, "And then I want him erased from everything."_

" _That's not my job to do that." Walter said._

" _I know, but I'm telling you what's going to happen." Carter said, "I don't have to do this for him, but it's now my job to protect this man. It's better we lift him when he's not aware. Let's be honest, he shouldn't have made it through that surgery, but… miraculously, he did." Carter nodded, "It's now in my best interest that he's protected."_

" _He can protect himself." Walter said._

" _Yeah, he looks ready to fight the world." Carter turned to Punk who was barely breathing on his own, "We have been tracking this group for the longest of times, they call themselves the mafia."_

" _And why did they target my police officers?" Walter asked._

" _They have a cult against cops, and… Tony Potts was a part of this group, the man who killed himself in Phil's apartment." Carter said as Walter ran his hand over his face, "I'm not talking about a little gang here, who roam the streets on a Saturday night. This is bad. It has been for a while."_

" _And why was nothing done about it?" Walter spat._

" _Because there are a lot of them, some are in different states, some are in different countries." Carter said as Walter raised his eyebrows, "Yeah, I know." Carter nodded, "And all of them want him dead." He pointed to Punk._

" _And what about when his girlfriend starts asking questions? She's a detective. The best I've ever known." Walter said._

" _I make a living out of erasing people from the real world." Carter said, "She won't be asking any questions." He nodded, "This is for his own safety and his own good."_

" _You do what you have to do." Walter sighed and nodded, "But you take care of him."_

" _He'll be safe. A safe ghost." Carter said, "That is… if he makes it."_

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! More thinks will be cleared up and will make sense soon!**


	2. Broken Pieces

**Broken Pieces**

* * *

"Where do you think you're going?" A female voice spoke as her heels clicked on the rich wooden floor, her arms folded as a tattooed hand let go of the door handle and turned around to her with guilt on his face like a child up to no good.

"Justine." Punk nodded as the woman smiled.

"Last time I checked… gym was down that way." She pointed, examining his shorts and t-shirt, assuming that's where he was heading to.

"I thought today I could… run outside." Punk hinted, "Get some vitamin D, you know." He smiled as the brown-haired woman chuckled and nodded.

"Like I said… the gym is down that way." Justine pointed as Punk glared at her, "I'm not having a repeat of last time where we let you out for a run."

"Let me out." Punk repeated, "Nice to know you're still treating me like an animal in a cage, Justine." Punk nodded, "Where is Carter? I prefer him." He said bluntly as Justine chuckled.

"He's busy, so he sent me today to check in." Justine nodded, "You're looking good. Better than the last time I saw you." She admitted, dressed in a power suit. Just like everyone who came in and out of the house, it was strictly business.

"You always catch me on bad days." Punk told her.

"I'm sure I do." Justine said, "Nice to see you're not pushing everyone in sight anymore." She smiled, "I still haven't forgiven you for that headbutt."

"You deserved that and you know it." Punk told her, "You had people picking at me like monkeys." Punk shook his head.

"It's just a process." Justine told him.

"It's been four years." Punk said, "Four years and you've still done Jack shit about those fuckers that put a bullet in me. Four fucking years. What the fuck have you all be doing?" He said.

"There are certain ways to go about this, Jack." She said compassionately.

"That's not my fucking name, don't call me it." Punk warned her.

"No, it is your name." Justine said, "It is your name until we say so." She said.

"Fuck you." Punk spat as she just smiled, "Can you at least give me some sort of update on things?" He asked her.

"We're working on it." Justine told him simply.

"What exactly is it you're working on here? Because for the past four years I have been kept here and you have kept me in the dark the entire time. It's pissing me off." Punk told her truthfully.

"I can understand you're frustrated, but this was always going to be a lengthy mission. This is the only safe place for you right now. I know this is hard-"

"You don't know a damn thing." Punk spat, "It was my daughter's fifth birthday last week. Just in case you forgot I have a kid out there, and a… and a girlfriend." Punk shook his head, running his hand over his face.

"Trust me, I haven't forgotten." Justine said, "Jack, I know-"

"I'm serious." Punk warned her, "My name is Phil."

"Phil." Justine spat, "I know you hate us. Probably more than the people who shot you, but you have to understand that if we let you recover in hospital, and go back to your old life, it would have… it would have blown our entire operation, and you would have died in the process, and possibly so would other loved ones of yours." She said, "Now despite what you think of us, we're the reason you're still alive, so quit trying to fight us and just cooperate, ok?" She asked as Punk just glared at her.

"I'll cooperate when I get brought out of the dark." Punk spat, "Hell, just give me a gun and I'll go find the fuckers myself. What the fuck are you waiting on?"

"You don't know what it is we're up against." Justine said.

"Of course I don't." Punk shook his head, "If you gave my girlfriend a week with some names and some notes, your little case would be sorted." He said as Justine smiled.

"This isn't just a little case." Justine shook her head, "It's much bigger than you and I. It's bigger than us, it's bigger than your girlfriend, it's bigger than the Chicago PD. So take a seat." She said as he just shook his head.

"You lot piss me off just a little more every day. It must be nice to outdo yourselves every day." He said as Justine just shook her head.

"It's been four years, can't you at least-"

"It's been four years!" Punk yelled, "Exactly!" He shouted as Justine narrowed her eyes at him, "Four fucking years that I'm never getting back. Four years you've kept me here like a… like prisoner." Punk said as Justine rolled her eyes.

"A prisoner? We've gave you the best medical care, you have a maid, you have your own gym, you have a pool-"

"Well we're not all materialist bitches like you." Punk spat, "I don't want a fucking maid or a gym or a pool… I want my family." Punk told her.

"You have this argument with us every week." Justine sighed.

"Yeah and it never seems to go into your fucking heads." Punk said, walking away from her.

"Where are you going?" Justine asked him.

"I'm going to my gym." Punk spat, walking off down the hall as Justine watched him with folded arms.

* * *

Later that night, AJ was sitting at the kitchen table doing work whilst Nova sat across from her colouring in, telling her all about her day at school. Although AJ found it hard at first, trying to raise Nova by herself, she felt like it was the one thing she had been allowed to hold onto, and she cherished that with all her heart. She smothered Nova quite a lot, but with love of course.

"I got a piece of candy for knowing my sums." Nova told her mother whilst carefully colouring inside the lines of her drawing as AJ smiled, "And then I shared my candy with my friends." She said.

"That was nice of you." AJ smiled.

"I got a sticker too but it's in my notebook. Miss Kelly asked me if I wanted it on my t-shirt or my notebook but it'll stay longer on my notebook." Nova explained, "It would have fall off my t-shirt." She said.

"I'm so proud of you, Chiquita." AJ smiled across at her, "You're smarter than me." She said playfully.

"Almost." Nova said modestly as AJ smiled.

"Why don't you clear your things away, I'll come help you get ready for bed." She said, beginning to clear her work away as Nova nodded, tidying her things away and running off into her bedroom.

AJ was very used to it just being the two of them. Sure, she had Dan and her friends, but at night, when she was laying on the couch, it was just her and her baby girl, and a part of her still expected Punk to walk through the door, but that was just a dream, nothing more.

She tidied the kitchen table up and headed into her daughter's bedroom. It wasn't a girly bedroom despite the purple walls. She had her actions figures along her window sill and on her bedside table. She also had a lot of posters that covered up some of the bad painting job AJ had done last year. She wasn't a girly girl, but she wasn't much of a tom boy either. She was a little bit of both.

"Ok, what pyjamas are you wearing tonight?" AJ asked, walking into the room where Nova had laid out her pyjamas for the night, "The wonder woman ones?" AJ asked her as Nova nodded with her hands on her hips, "Alright then." AJ smiled, kneeling down as she shook out the pyjamas whilst Nova began to strip out of her clothes.

AJ was in the middle of helping Nova with her pyjamas when there was a knock at the apartment door, which was strange for the time of night.

"Ok, you finish off getting your pyjamas on." AJ stood up, walking out of her bedroom and heading to the apartment door, opening up the door as she looked down at Dean sitting on the ground, a bottle of whiskey, or more so an empty bottle of whiskey in his hand, "Dean." AJ sighed.

"Shit." Dean looked up at her, not even realising where he was, "D-Dammit." He shook his head, trying to get to his feet as he stumbled over, AJ keeping him up right as she shook her head.

"Dean." AJ sighed, "Nova is still awake." She said sadly, helping him inside. She didn't want to let him go back out onto the streets when he was this drunk, and this wasn't the first time he'd shown up on the doorstep in this state.

"I'm… I'm sorry, AJ." Dean sighed with hazy, drunken eyes as AJ lead him over to the sofa, helping him down as he collapsed down onto the couch in a drunken heap whilst Ace sat watching from the other couch. He was still very much a guard dog, but he had lost a lot of energy since Punk had died from AJ's point of view. He wasn't the same.

"Mommy." Nova said quietly, standing at her room door nervously.

"Just a second, baby. Go back into your room." AJ said as Nova disappeared back into her room.

"I'll-I'll go… I'll go home." Dean tried to sit up as AJ pushed him back down.

"Just stay where you are." AJ shook her head, "Sleep it off here and then you can go home." She told him, "Just… let me put my daughter to bed." She sighed, walking away into Nova's bedroom where she was sitting on her bed.

"Why is uncle Dean here?" Nova asked.

"He just came to have a little nap." AJ nodded, "So… why don't you go into my room and watch a movie, and I'll be in soon?" She asked, "Yeah?" She said as Nova smiled and nodded, "You pick, ok?" She said as Nova nodded

"Ok." She chirped, leaving her bedroom and rushing next door into her mother's room. Sometimes she slept in beside her mother, normally on the weekends or when AJ was feeling down in one of her cycles. She just wanted to hold on to something.

AJ walked back into the living room, walking over to the couch where Dean was lying, already fast asleep.

She shook her head, taking he empty bottle of whiskey from him and grabbing the blanket from over the arm of the couch, shaking it out and throwing it over him, "C'mon Dean." AJ sighed, looking down at him. He looked like how she felt on the inside.

"I miss him, AJ." Dean opened his eyes, looking up at her as AJ nodded.

"I miss him too." AJ nodded with a lump in her throat, "But this is… this is why you lost your job." She crouched down in front of him.

"I-I don't know… I don't know what to do." Dean slurred tiredly as AJ nodded.

"Just… get some sleep." AJ sighed, patting his shoulder comfortingly, walking by him and into her bedroom.

* * *

"Where is he?" Carter asked, handing his coat to Justine, his assistant as he entered the safe house where Punk was being kept. It was a huge house with security around it twenty-four seven, and it was in the middle of nowhere, literally.

"He's in the kitchen." Justine nodded.

"Behaving?" Carter asked her, straightening his suit down.

"What do you think?" Justine rolled her eyes, "I get more cooperation from my three-year-old son." She said as Carter smiled.

"You're free to go, Justine." Carter nodded, walking on through the house and into the kitchen where Punk was sitting at the table doing a jigsaw puzzle, "Phil." Carter smiled as Punk looked up.

"Finally, someone who calls me by my real name." Punk shook his head, standing up as Carter smiled. Punk knew enough to know that this was the man in charge of this operation that he was a part of.

"How are you?" Carter asked.

"Oh, I'm great." Punk nodded, running his hand through his hair, "Honestly, I feel like I'm really going out of my mind." He said as Carter nodded, "You gotta… you gotta give me something, man. I'm a cop, I understand your work-"

"No, you don't." Carter said, "Think of it like an ant's nest. You disturb the nest just a little, thousands of ants come crawling at you." He said as Punk shook his head.

"Why do they want me dead, that's all I wanna know." Punk said, "Don't give me bullshit metaphors."

"Tony. You remember him? The boy you shot and then he killed himself in front of you?" Carter asked as Punk gulped.

"What about him?"

"He was part of this group. They're crooks. They're the worst of the worst." Carter said, "You pissed them off and they took you out. Simple as that." He said, "You being here means that they think you're dead, and they're staying where we can keep an eye on them."

"Wouldn't you rather they moved around?" Punk shook his head, "You could catch them better."

"Typical cop." Carter chuckled, "There's not just four or five of them." He said, "This is an uprising. We still don't even know the half of what they're involved in just yet. Seems like it could be human trafficking, drugs, child abuse, you name it."

"So then you get the cops on them and you let me go." Punk spat, "What good am I doing to anyone being here?" He said.

"You have no idea the difference you're making, being here." Carter said, "I know you miss your girl and your daughter-"

"No, I don't… I don't think you do know." Punk said truthfully, "You-You don't even give me updates. You don't even give me pictures."

"That would make it harder for you." Carter said, "Phil, trust me. You're doing everyone a favour by being here. Think of it as you protecting your family-"

"How can I protect my family when I'm not even there?!" Punk spat, grabbing the fruit basket and throwing it against the wall as Carter rolled his eyes, "You've took my life from me for four years. I don't care if I wasn't aware of things for the first year. You've taken me from my life and everything I care about. You're not protecting me." Punk spat.

"We are, Phil." Carter nodded, "We're the good guys here." He said as Punk took a deep breath, placing his hands on the marble kitchen counter and leaning over.

"Then let me help you." Punk lifted his head, "There's gotta be something I can do that could… speed up the process."

"We don't need a cops input." Carter laughed a little, "Just you being here is helping us out a great deal." He said, "Like you said, you were out of it for the first year. You barely knew what was going on-"

"Because you fucking airlifted me when I could barely breathe on my own. Fuck knows why I'm still alive." Punk shook his head, "I didn't even know my name for the first year."

"And you got the best medical help we could give you." Carter said as Punk just ran his hands over his face.

"I like you, Carter. I do. I respect you. But enough is enough." Punk shook his head.

"You're staying here until I say so, Phil. Look how well your little escape plan went the last time." He raised a brow as Punk glared at him, "Just cooperate with me and you'll see your family soon."

"You can… You can tell me that all you like but that doesn't change the fact that I have missed four years of my life. Four years of my daughter's life. My girl thinks I'm dead and I'm never coming back. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?" Punk said as Carter nodded.

"I know." Carter said.

"You fucking don't know." Punk sat back down, "Piss off and let me finish my jigsaw puzzle." He said as Carter looked over at him. All the members of the agency were used to his attitude at this point.

"Not getting very far with it." Carter nodded to the jigsaw."

"Yeah, well you start with the edges first. Make your way from the outside to the inside." Punk said as Carter just nodded, walking out of the kitchen and leaving him alone as Punk picked up the jigsaw pieces, trying to piece things together whilst his head spun.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for the reviews you guys! They really do mean a lot. I love reading them. I'm excited about this, it won't be a typical 'Punk trying to get back to his family story' so don't be fooled, although obviously it will be in certain aspects. Lots more info will be coming soon. Stay tuned and review!**


	3. Help

**Help**

* * *

Dean woke up the next morning to a light tapping on his face. He looked up and saw Nova hanging over the couch looking him in the eyes. He grumbled a little, turning around on the sofa as she walked around to get a better look at him.

"Shouldn't you be at school?" Dean asked her in a croak. His head was pulsing, and he could barely even remember crashing here.

"I don't have school on Saturdays." Nova looked at him like he was crazy, "Or Sundays." She added.

"So, it's Saturday." Dean nodded, watching as Nova jumped up on the opposite couch with Ace, playing with the dog who enjoyed being pampered and rubbed by the five-year-old, "Where is your mom?" Dean asked, sitting up slowly, his eyes screwed up as he ran his hands through his hair.

"She's still sleeping." Nova said, "Why did you sleep on our couch last night?" She asked curiously as Dean looked across at her.

"Why the questions?" Dean replied as she stared at him, "I just… came here to sleep." He said.

"You should sleep in a bed." Nova observed.

"Good to know." Dean nodded, "Doesn't your mom have work?" He asked.

"She doesn't work Saturdays." Nova said, "Well… sometimes she has to." She huffed as Dean nodded.

"You got any food in here?" Dean asked her as she nodded, standing up and rushing away into the kitchen as Dean stood up and followed her, watching as she climbed up onto the kitchen counter, using her arms to pull herself up as he shook his head, "Where'd you get those muscles from?" Dean laughed a little whilst Nova began to open up the top cupboards that she wouldn't have been able to if she was on the ground.

"Mom said I got them from my dad." Nova said calmly, "Here is the food we have." She presented to Dean, "Mommy normally makes pancakes on Saturday."

"Well I'm not mommy." Dean said, grabbing the box of cereal and beginning to eat from the box as Nova looked at him with disgust.

"You eat cereal with milk." Nova said, jumping back down onto the ground, telling him like he didn't already know.

"Says who?" Dean asked her playfully as she found it hard to reply back.

"I don't know." Nova said as Dean nodded, leaning back against the kitchen counter as he looked at her, "Nice pyjamas." He nodded to her, "Who is it? Spider girl?" He asked.

"Wonder woman actually." Nova corrected him, "I got them for my birthday." She told him as Dean sighed.

"Your birthday, huh?" Dean nodded, placing the box of cereal down as he realised he had forgotten her birthday.

"Yeah, Rocky gave me them." Nova smiled, "Mommy said you couldn't come because you were busy." She looked up at him as he nodded.

"Yeah." Dean sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeah, I was busy."

"That's ok." Nova shrugged, listening as her mother's bedroom door opened up, watching her mom walk into the kitchen, waving to her as she smiled back.

"Uncle Dean is eating cereal without the milk." Nova told her mother who looked at Dean who was looking down at the ground.

"I can see that." AJ nodded, "Baby, why don't you go look your clothes out, we'll take Ace for his walk and get some breakfast from across the street." She said as Nova nodded, running off into her bedroom as AJ turned to Dean.

"I'll get out of your hair." Dean shook his head.

"Come with us if you like." AJ said, blocking his way out as he looked down at her, "You'd be surprised how powerful fresh air." She nodded.

"I've bothered you enough. I keep… I keep bothering you."

"Dean, you're not bothering me." AJ rolled her eyes, "Sure, it's not the best to see you drunk with no job, but if…. If I can help you in anyway then I will. You need to get back on your feet it's… it's been way too long."

"I can't… I can't do it without him, AJ." Dean shook his head.

"I didn't think I could either, but… we don't have a choice." AJ said, "I know he was like your brother. I know losing him has… destroyed you." She nodded, "But you're not the only one." She promised him, "Please don't… please don't suffer in silence."

"How do you do it?" Dean asked her.

"Because Phil wouldn't want us to… to waste the rest of our lives crying over losing him. You know what he was like." AJ said, "He had no time for sob stories." She smiled as Dean laughed lightly, "Come a walk with us." AJ nodded. She always had time to help a friend in need. Always.

* * *

"Does she know?" Dean asked, sitting on a park bench with AJ whilst Ace ran around with Nova n close distance.

"Know what?" AJ turned to him.

"That her dad is dead." Dean said as AJ took a deep breath.

"I've never… said those exact words to her." AJ said, "She knows what this… idea of a dad is but… I think she just assumes he's not around. She knows not everyone has a dad."

"But she did have a dad." Dean said.

"She doesn't anymore." AJ said truthfully, "I don't want her to grow up with that on her shoulders. If he can just be this… mystery man, this good man that disappeared over night to her." AJ nodded, "She's too young to understand what happened."

"She's like him." Dean nodded, watching Nova as she ran around with Ace in the park, throwing him a twig as the German Shepherd bounced around happily.

"She is." AJ smiled, "Sometimes when I look at her I just…. I just wanna cry." AJ admitted as Dean turned to her, "I don't, obviously."

"You're still allowed to be upset, AJ." Dean said.

"Am I? It's been four years, Dean." AJ shook her head, "Four years and I still… don't believe he's really gone. I keep expecting him to just… walk through my office door." She said, "Makes me think of all the times I… I told him to leave me alone. To leave my office." AJ said, "And now all I want is for him to just walk through those doors." She sighed, her eyes filling up as Dean watched her, watching as she wiped her few tears quickly, "Those bastards are still out there." She turned to him, "They just… they just drove by us and started shooting."

"I know." Dean nodded, "But you can't be looking into things, April. Look what happened to me." He said, "Despite being a drunken idiot, I stuck my nose where it didn't belong and I lost my job." He said, "You have to be careful." He said as AJ nodded.

"It's no use anyway. It doesn't bring him back." AJ shook her head, "Nothing is bringing him back."

"Do you think you'll move on?" Dean wondered.

"With someone else?" AJ asked him as he nodded, "I don't want to. I have nothing… I have nothing to give anyone. Everything I needed to love someone died with Phil." AJ nodded.

"I just can't get used to the idea of him being gone. We're supposed to move on. People die every day. It's life. But… it wasn't his time."

"Is it ever anyone's time?" AJ asked him truthfully as Dean shrugged.

"I don't know." Dean mumbled, "I'm a mess, AJ." He shook his head shamefully as AJ looked at him.

"We're all a mess." AJ said truthfully, "You just need to get out of this habit of… of turning to drink when you're feeling down." She said, "We're all dealing with something, but the best thing you can do is look after yourself." She nodded.

"Easier said than done." Dean sighed.

"Trust me I know." AJ nodded, smiling as she watched her daughter run around happily, "He wouldn't want us to be sad. You know that." She said as Dean nodded, "He'd kick your ass right now for getting into the state you've gotten into." She said as Dean smiled and nodded.

"I know he would." Dean said, "It just… still doesn't feel real."

"I don't think it will ever feel real." AJ said truthfully, "I'm learning to accept that." She nodded, turning to Dean, "Maybe you should… speak to someone professionally?" She suggested as Dean shook his head, "You'd be surprised how helpful it can be."

"April, I'm struggling to talk to you about this, never mind a stranger." He said truthfully.

"It's not for everyone." AJ nodded, "But I'm here." She nodded, placing her hand on his arm as he took a deep breath, "Please don't forget that." She smiled as he nodded. A lot of things just felt broken since Punk had been gone. For Dean, he had lost a brother, a best friend, his first friend. It was something he hadn't quite comprehended yet like everyone else had.

* * *

"Are you still working on that shit?" Carter asked, walking through to the huge kitchen were Punk was sat, trying to finish his jigsaw.

"It's not like I got much else to do." Punk shook his head, "What do you want?" He asked, uninterested. Some days he wanted to yell and scream at anyone who would listen, other days he didn't want to talk at all, other days he just wanted to close his eyes and forget about everything.

"I… I thought about our conversation yesterday." Carter said as Punk turned to him, suddenly interested, "Look, I get it, you feel like you're a prisoner here. We've… We've completely ruined your life. I know. But we're trying to save it in the process. Whether you wanna face it or not, if you went back to your normal life, you would have been dead." Carter told him.

"Are you gonna let me help you?" Punk stood up.

"No. But… from now on you… you'll get to know everything that's going on." He nodded, "It's not gonna do anyone any harm. It's not like you speak to many people." He said as Punk rolled his eyes, sitting back down at the table and turning back to his jigsaw, "Don't go in a huff like a kid."

"Telling me what's going on isn't gonna get me out of here any quicker. You need to start taking some sort of action." Punk shook his head, picking up different pieces, "Before I go insane in here."

"I think you've already gone insane, to be honest." Carter shook his head, "So far we have leads on two areas where these… gang members are situated." He said as Punk looked up at him, "There's human trafficking going on, for sure."

"And you've ignored it for four years?" Punk asked him, "Excellent job."

"Dammit, Phil!" Carter yelled as Punk looked at him, "This isn't just as simple as going and arresting people. Don't you get that?" He spat.

"I do. They're ants. I know." Punk mocked as Carter shook his head.

"You're a pain in my ass, you know that?" Carter said, never having met someone like him.

"How about I take you away from your wife and kids for four years, and we'll see if you're a pain in the ass too?" Punk spat, "I am fed up of you people coming in here every day, and telling me you know how this feels. What are you actually holding off for? Arrest these motherfuckers and let me go home." Punk spat.

"If it was as simple as that we would." Carter said, "We want to wait until we understand exactly what it is we're dealing with. We wanna get them in one sweep. We wanna know what we're charging them with exactly. We wanna know who is innocent and who is guilty." Carter said.

"And it's taken you four years for that?" Punk asked him bluntly.

"I work for the government, and they want this done professionally, and if that means taking our time then that's what we're gonna do." Carter said.

"Whilst kids are abused and women are sold?" Punk asked him, "Way to go, you." Punk raised his thumb as Carter glared at him.

"You're not the only one going through this, you know." Carter said as Punk sighed tiredly.

"I don't… I don't care about anyone else. I just… I just want to be with my family. I wanna see my kid, man." Punk shook his head, "I wanna see my girlfriend and my daughter." Punk placed his hands over his face, suddenly sliding his arm over the nearly finished jigsaw as all the pieces fell onto the ground.

"Calm down." Carter said as Punk shook his head.

"She thinks I'm dead." Punk said, "My girlfriend thinks I'm dead. She's… she's got a mental illness. She-She might not be ok." Punk swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I know all about her." Carter nodded, "And I can tell you that she is fine. Her and your daughter." He said as Punk looked up at him, "They're getting by." He said as Punk took a deep breath, placing his hand over eyes.

"What do you mean I'm not the only one going through this?" Punk lifted his head, regaining composure as Carter sighed. He hated seeing what this was doing to him. Despite their arguments, Carter had been a steady figure for Punk in the past four years, like a father figure. Everyone from the agency treated him with respect, whether he treated them back with respect or not, and he knew they were just doing their jobs and trying to protect him, but on his end, he just felt like a prisoner.

"People have died. For real. Because of this. Some people are being hurt right now as we speak." Carter said as Punk rolled his eyes.

"Do something about it then." Punk hissed.

"Here." Carter said, opening up his bag and taking out a folder, "This is everything you need to know about this operation." He handed it to him as Punk took the folder, "You're a cop, so I assume you'll understand it all." He said as Punk opened up the folder, looking through it all, names and faces, lists, charges, pictures.

"Can you tell me when some action is gonna be taken? Proper action?" Punk asked, flicking through the notes.

"Soon." Carter said.

"You said that four years ago." Punk glared up at him.

"Things come up. Stories change. New things show up." Carter said, "But we're getting there." Carter nodded, "I can't let you help, but I can… I can let you know what's going on." He nodded, "I probably shouldn't. But… you're a pain in the ass." He admitted as Punk closed the folder over and threw it on the floor.

"I want my family. Not a folder." Punk told him as Carter sighed, picking up the folder and putting it back in his bag and nodding.

"Justine will be around later." Carter said.

"Great." Punk said.

"We're trying to help you, Phil." Carter shook his head, "We're trying to help a lot of people." He said as Punk just stayed silent, "Here, just keep this." He said, taking the folder back out and throwing it over on the table in front of Punk, "I'll be round tomorrow." He said as Punk just stayed silent, watching as Carter left, eventually opening the folder back up and looking through it.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	4. Collecting Point

**Collecting Point**

* * *

"Ok, so I got some questions." Punk said the next day, sitting in the lounge as Carter walked in where he saw Punk sitting with the papers all spread out on the floor, "So you guys don't know the actual location of where these guys are?" Punk looked up at him as he nodded.

"They're spread out across Chicago, and we know there's been a connection in France with it." Carter said.

"Ok, do you have the precise number of how many there are?" Punk asked.

"We're guessing fifty to seventy of them. At least." Carter nodded as Punk sighed, "We know they must have some sort of meeting point, but if we go in all guns blazing, the rest of them will flee, and they'll still be out there." Carter said, taking a seat.

"Wouldn't you rather that? People are dying because of these motherfuckers." Punk said, "I say you eliminate as much of the target as possible and figure out what to do after that. It's all about helping those people."

"A lot of them have been drugged and brainwashed so we can't tell who is innocent and who is guilty." Carter said.

"I'm assuming the motive for all that they're doing is money, right?" Punk asked as Carter nodded, "You gotta find a meeting point for them. I imagine it would be… somewhere quiet, somewhere abandoned, you know." Punk nodded.

"They're not all gonna be there at once." Carter shook his head.

"They're never all gonna be at the one place." Punk said frustrated, "You have to take them out a handful at a time. How many more people are gonna have to get killed or abused for you to make a move? You gotta do something. It's been four years." Punk said, "This isn't me whining because I wanna go back to my family, this is me telling you there are people dying and you need to start making your move." Punk nodded, "You know what you're up against" He said, turning back around to the papers, "This is your main guy?" He lifted the paper and showed Carter it.

"Yeah." Carter nodded.

"Blow his head off first." Punk spat, throwing the paper back down, "Take away the king, the whole kingdom falls apart. Trust me." Punk said, "And then you set up stations surrounding the different check points, so when they do all start to flee, they won't get very far, same goes for the ones in France." Punk nodded.

"Walter told me you were one of the best cops he had." Carter nodded.

"This isn't being a cop, this is common sense." Punk said.

"We wanna get it right." Carter said, "If the whole thing backfires, then you stay in here for longer." He said as Punk rolled his eyes, "And I know how much you'd love that." He said sarcastically as Punk rolled his eyes.

"Why can't you let me help you?" Punk asked, "I'll even let people call me Jack if you want." He stood up from the floor as Carter shook his head.

"Phil, you're dead." Carter said, "You are erased from everything. You're a ghost. You don't exist anymore." Carter nodded as Punk folded his arms, "You can't help us. We're trying to protect you from these guys, not shove you right in front of their faces."

"They'll have forgotten all about me." Punk said, "I could work undercover. I could keep an eye on things." Punk said, "Just please… let me do something. I'm-I'm going out of my mind in this place." He said.

"I know." Carter said, "But I can't let you help us. I could lose my job if I did. This is government business, this is bigger than a station full of cops. You have to trust me." He said.

"Trust you?" Punk spat, "I've been trusting you for four years and nothing is fucking happening!" Punk yelled.

"We're getting the right moment." Carter said, "And we are saving those who have been harmed by these people."

"Yeah, the ones who have escaped?" Punk asked, running his hands through his hair as Carter stood up.

"Maybe you should start seeing your counsellor again." Carter said as Punk shot him a look.

"Fuck you." Punk spat, "I don't need a counsellor I need to go fucking home." Punk said, "It's like you're… you're dragging this out purposely." He laughed.

"Phil, I can assure you we're not." Carter sighed.

"Do you know what it feels like?" Punk asked, "To know that your girlfriend thinks you're dead. She thinks she's all alone." Punk sat down with his hands in his hair, "I can't tell her it's ok." Punk shook his head, "I don't even know what my daughter looks like." Punk whispered to himself sadly.

"Look, son. I know this hasn't been an easy ride for you." Carter nodded, "I've been here almost every day. I know what it's doing to you. But… it's my job to keep you here until all of this is over, and I know you think that this should have been over within a year, but it's not as simple as that. I'm interested in hearing your plans and what you would do, but you still gotta stay here and wait it out."

"I'm tired of waiting." Punk sat back, "I'm tired of all of this." He sighed sadly as Carter nodded.

"I know you are, son. I think we all are." Carter nodded, "Right now we're looking more closely to France to see what they're up to." He said, "We reckon they're transporting the drugs. Maybe at collection point… that might be our best shot to take out the target."

"No, at collection point there'd only be one or two guys there." Punk nodded as Carter raised a brow, "They wouldn't risk anything suspicious, so one or two guys will make a few trips with everything." Punk nodded as Carter nodded, impressed, "I'm telling you, take out your main guy and the rest will all scatter like roaches, and you'll be waiting at the cracks for them." Punk said, "Or you can… wait another four years and do nothing." Punk stood up as Carter sighed, "It's up to you." He waved his hand tiredly, walking out of the room as Carter nodded, looking down at all the papers Punk had spread out, crouching down and looking at all the notes he had made, reading them all curiously.

* * *

"Where'd you reckon this came from?" AJ asked that night, standing at the port with Rocky where a boat had docked with thousands worth of drugs, whoever was steering the boat must have fled the minute they docked.

"I'm not sure." Rocky admitted as other uniformed officers looked around, taping off around the boat, "I can run the boat, see if there's any prints." He said, "With a name like Glorieuse, I'm assuming it came from France. But that's just a guess." Rocky said, "Better drugs than people, that's what I say." Rock admitted, taking notes as AJ nodded.

"Yeah, you got that right." AJ nodded, walking along the plank and stepping onto the boat carefully as she looked around carefully, using her flashlight as she looked everywhere, "The boat is practically empty." AJ called to Rocky.

"Well someone isn't gonna be happy that their drugs worth thousands have been taken in by their friendly neighbourhood cops." Rocky said as AJ walked back off the boat as Rocky helped her, "I'll get a run on the CCTV cameras too." Rocky said.

"I can run the boat." AJ insisted, "You've got enough to do." She nodded.

"And you don't?" Rocky chuckled as they walked back up to their cars.

"You know I like to keep busy." AJ smiled to him as Rocky nodded.

"I know." Rocky smiled, "But still… take it easy, yeah?" He nodded, "I know you don't… I know you don't enjoy work the same anymore." He said as AJ nodded, "You should get home to Nova."

"I should. She'll give me into trouble for being out this late." AJ nodded seriously as Rocky chuckled.

"Send her my love." Rocky said, giving her a tight hug.

"I will." AJ smiled, getting into her car and driving off to head home after a long day.

She got out of the car, taking her things with her, still half expecting Punk to walk around the car with her, help her with her folders, hold the door opened for her, anything… but he wasn't. He never would be.

She walked up the steps and headed into the apartment where Nova was laying up on the couch with Ace whilst Dean sat across. He had insisted to keep an eye on Nova whilst she was at work, to give Dan a break for a few days. AJ appreciated the help.

"Mommy!" Nova noticed, jumping off the couch and running to her mother, hugging her tightly as AJ smiled.

"Hey, monster." AJ smiled as Dean looked over, "You're already in your pyjamas." She noticed, carrying her things over to the kitchen table.

"Yeah, Uncle Dean helped me." Nova nodded, "You're late tonight." She noticed as AJ smiled and nodded.

"I know, baby. I got caught up at work." AJ said, "Me and Uncle Rocky had to go out last minute." She said as Nova sighed, "I'm sorry, I'll try not to be late but you know things come up." AJ nodded to her.

"You should make me hot chocolate and I'll forgive you." Nova smiled charmingly as AJ chuckled, flicking her chin playfully.

"You're cheeky." AJ smiled, "Go on then. I'll bring it over to you. But after that, it's time for bed, ok?" She said.

"Ok!" Nova exclaimed, rushing back to the couch, whizzing by Dean as he chuckled, walking into the kitchen where AJ was making herself dinner and now, making Nova hot chocolate.

"I just ordered a pizza for us and all that was left was… Nova's crusts." Dean laughed, placing his hands in his pockets as AJ smiled.

"It's ok. I can make something quickly." AJ nodded, "I really appreciated you looking after her today. It gives Dan a break and… I know Nova likes spending time with you." She smiled to him.

"I felt bad for… missing her birthday and… his anniversary." Dean admitted, "I know that's when you struggle the most and I should have been there." He said, "He'd expect me to be there for you."

"He wouldn't expect anything from anyone. You know that." AJ said, "Truth is I have… more death anniversaries to celebrate than birthdays." AJ chuckled to herself a little as Dean sighed sadly.

"Yeah, you've not had it easy, have you?" Dean asked.

"It's like someone is out to get me." AJ nodded, continuing to move around the kitchen and prepare her dinner whilst making Nova's hot chocolate.

"You've been really strong. I don't-I don't know how you've done it." Dean nodded. Her strength amazed him. Perhaps she was strong for Nova, or maybe she just had it in her, but she was one of the strongest people he knew. To lose so much and still keep pushing forward. Dean couldn't understand how she done it.

"I'm not strong." AJ assured him, "I cry myself to sleep almost every night." AJ said calmly, "I'm just good at hiding it all."

"You're still being strong for Nova." Dean said.

"She needs me to be strong. She's… She's all I have left." AJ said, "I'm still giving her that life me and Phil promised her." She nodded.

"She's lucky to have you as her mom." Dean nodded, "Phil would be… he'd be really proud of you."

"I hope so." AJ nodded with a small smile.

"I've been thinking about what you said… about talking to someone… professionally." Dean said as AJ looked up at him, "Maybe… it's what I need." He nodded as AJ smiled.

"You'll be surprised how useful it can be." AJ nodded, "It's not easy to ask for help, I know that better than anyone, but… when you get that help, when you have someone to talk to, things become that little bit easier." AJ promised him.

"I'll look into it." Dean took a deep breath as AJ smiled and nodded.

"Hot chocolate?" She asked him as he chuckled.

"Ok, go on." He smiled.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! The site has been down so I have another chapter uploading straight after this one. Check them both out and drop reviews! Appreciating the support from everyone.**


	5. Too Close To Home

**Too Close To Home**

* * *

"Baby, what's this in your bag?" AJ asked, looking over at Nova sitting on the couch whilst she emptied her school bag at the kitchen table. Another school week had gone by, and AJ liked to empty Nova's bag at the end of every week to clear the rubbish that she liked to collect in it sometimes.

"What?" Nova looked over from watching TV, "Oh, that." She noticed, getting off the couch and walking over to her mother, "I was invited to a sleepover. It's a girl in my class. Everyone is going." She looked up at her mother as AJ read the invitation.

"I've never heard you talking about this girl before." AJ said suspiciously, "Have I met her parents?" She asked.

"No. Well I don't know." Nova shrugged, "Everyone is going." She repeated.

"That doesn't matter to me." AJ said, "I thought your friends were Maddie and Ashley." AJ nodded.

"They're my best friends." Nova explained, "Everyone else is just my friend." She nodded as AJ smiled, "Maddie and Ashley are going to the sleepover." She looked up at her mother with those innocent eyes, "I wanna go too."

"Baby, I don't know who this girl is." AJ said.

"Why do you need to know?" Nova huffed, walking back to the couch as AJ watched her, "You always need to know everyone I talk to." She jumped up on the couch, folding her arms in a huff as AJ sighed, placing the invitation over as she continued to empty her school bag.

"Did you have homework for over the weekend?" AJ asked her, looking over as Nova ignored her, "Hey, baby don't ignore me." AJ shook her head.

"No. I didn't." Nova replied as AJ sighed and nodded, walking over to wipe down any dirty marks on the bag whilst keeping an eye on Nova who sat, still clearly mad. She looked just like Punk when she was mad.

* * *

"She thinks I'm a strict mom." AJ groaned, sitting at her desk a few days later, after the weekend had gone by. Rocky was sitting across from her as they were discussing the case they still didn't find leads on with the boat and the drugs that were found. AJ couldn't stop thinking about Nova, and how mad she seemed to be with her. She only wanted to know who the girl was that had invited her to her party. Maybe she was a little overwhelming, and maybe it was because of her job, but she just liked to know who was around her daughter at all times.

"You are pretty protective of her." Rocky nodded as AJ turned to him, "In a good way, though. I mean… it's totally understandable." He said.

"I just wanna know who she's around, and what this girls parents are like." AJ shrugged, "Oh God, I'm suffocating her, aren't I?" AJ asked Rocky who just put his hands up.

"Hey, don't ask me. I don't have kids yet." He laughed lightly, "All I know is… you're a great mom, and under the circumstances of what happened, how you managed to… carry on raising her on your own was something we all admired here." Rocky nodded, "It's ok that you're protective of her. When we all see her it's like… it's like a little bit of Punk that was left behind, and we're all trying to glove onto that, you are too." Rocky said as AJ nodded, "You're doing everything right." He promised her as AJ sighed, "And you're a cop, we're nosey." He waved his hand as AJ laughed lightly.

"I don't wanna smother her and suck out all her fun, but I just… I just wanna make sure she's safe." AJ said, "Of course she thinks I'm just being big, bad mom." AJ shook her head.

"She's a kid. She's gonna go in little huffs with you. It's not the first time and it won't be the last." He smiled as AJ nodded, "I uh… I heard Dean was speaking to a therapist." Rocky said, "I spoke to him the other day, he said you've been a great help." Rocky nodded as AJ smiled.

"I just want him to get back on his feet." AJ said, "You know, just like me, how much he's struggled without Punk here." She said, "And I know better than anyone else, how useful talking to someone is." She said, "I'm just glad he's making that step."

"Yeah, we're all proud of him." Rocky nodded, "Maybe he could even get his job back if he stays on a straight road." He said as AJ nodded.

"I hope so." AJ smiled, looking back down to the paper work in front of her, "Ok, so are we actually getting anywhere with finding out where this boat came from?" She asked him.

"Well I got in contact with our old friends in Paris, they're running the specs on the boat, and obviously you know the CCTV cameras at the port didn't pick up on anything, the angles weren't right." Rocky said, "Just looks like typical drug smuggling from where I stand." He admitted.

"I know but it's not just typical drug smuggling is it. Who is smuggling the drugs into the country? Who didn't collect the drugs on time?" AJ questioned with a sigh, "Ok, I want to have two patrol officers down at the port every night, keeping an eye on incoming boats and ships." She said.

"Yeah. That's a good idea." Rocky nodded.

"For now I'm gonna go to some crack dens around the area, speak to or at least try and speak to some people." AJ stood up as Rocky watched her wearily.

"Uh… well, let me get my things I'll come with you." Rocky nodded.

"You don't have to come." AJ assured him.

"I don't like the idea of you going out on your own to question all walks of life. Guarantee there will be more of them and one of you." Rocky said.

"I can handle it myself." AJ assured him. Normally, Punk would go with her on rides like this where they had to question people or look around, but obviously, she was riding alone now, and she didn't want anyone else to take Punk's place, even when she knew Rocky only meant well.

"Please let me come with you." Rocky said.

"Rocky, I've got this." AJ nodded, grabbing her gun and her cuffs and leaving the office as Rocky sighed to himself.

* * *

Punk woke up and the first thing he always done was take a shower. He would stand under the water like a statue for at least half an hour, just thinking. Thinking about what his life was like before all of this. Thinking about his daughter whom he hadn't saw in four years, who would now be at school, who he probably wouldn't even recognise. Thinking about his girlfriend, his best friend, the only person he trusted in the entire world, especially after everything that had gone on. The only thing that got him through, was that they had each other. He knew the type of person AJ was. She would have held onto Nova even tighter now, and he was glad of that. He just wished he could have been there. He knew he'd never get these years back.

When he first arrived in the 'safe house' as Carter would refer to it, he was completely out of it. For the first year that he was here, he was in bed. He should never have been lifted from the hospital in the state he was in, and because of it, it had made him worse. He knew he shouldn't have been alive, but somehow he was.

When he began to come around, he began to think he was still in hospital, but then more and more time went by, and Carter explained to him why he was here, and how long it was. It was like he had almost been in a conscious coma for a year in his bed.

And then came the physiotherapy, which was perhaps his lowest time. Combining the fact that he could barely walk or lift anything, with the fact he knew his girlfriend and daughter thought he was dead, was the most frustrated he'd ever been, and he suddenly developed a temper that he never knew he had.

He done jobs for Carter to pass time, but it was simple things like filing paper work, or sometimes he'd do jobs around the house that needed fixed, but most often than not, he was just sitting, daydreaming of his old life and what it used to be like. He didn't know how much he could take it.

"Phil!" Carter shouted up just as Punk got out of the shower.

"I'll be down in a minute!" Punk shouted back as he began to slip on some clothes, rubbing his hair with a towel roughly as he then headed downstairs, walking on into the kitchen where Carter was, "What's going on?" Punk asked curiously. He never normally came this early.

"We've had a little bit of news." Carter said as Punk gulped.

"Is it April?" Punk asked, his heart beating out of his chest. It might have been four years, but he still loved his girlfriend. She was still his girlfriend, and every day was only one more passing day until he got to see her beautiful face. He believed that Carter assumed he'd forget about her, but that wasn't he and AJ's love. It wasn't forgettable.

"April is fine." Carter said, "But… this does have something to do with her." He nodded.

"What is it?" Punk asked.

"Well it looks like our gut feeling was right. The drugs are being sent from France, and guess what detective found the boat?" He said as Punk nodded with a smile, taking a seat at the table.

"My girl." Punk smiled to himself.

"You can be proud all you want, this doesn't mean you're gonna see her any quicker. In fact, her being involved in this is exactly what we can't have." Carter said.

"Well she's a fucking detective. She's doing her job." Punk shook his head.

"I know that." Carter sighed.

"She'll figure this out, you realise that." Punk said, "Maybe not about me being here and alive, but she'll find who those drugs were being sent to." Punk nodded, "I know her."

"That's why…" Carter took a deep breath, "That's why I'm having a meeting tonight with Walter. I'm gonna have to tell him to…. To let April go." He said as Punk looked up at him.

"Let her go?" Punk shook his head.

"Fire her." Carter said as Punk glared at him like he'd never glared at him before, standing up and looking across at him, "It's just temporary."

"What? Like all of this was temporary? Instead it turned into four years." Punk spat, "You put her out of work that means she has no income. She's a… She's a single mom. And she's the best damn detective you'll ever have in law enforcement." Punk spat, "Don't take away another thing she loves." Punk warned.

"I'm sorry. I can't have her in the mix. It's too close to home. She could get hurt. Do you want that?" Carter asked him.

"She would take more action than you have in the past four years." Punk spat, placing his hands in his hair, "You can't. Ok. You just can't. Her job is her everything. She's good at it and it keeps her… it keeps her healthy."

"Look, I get that." Carter nodded, "But I'm only doing my job."

"Haven't you done enough?" Punk laughed sadistically, "Haven't you broken my family enough?" He spat, "What are you gonna do next? Take education away from my kid?" Punk spat, getting in his face as Carter sighed.

"Phil, I get that you're upset. But this is coming to an end very shortly." Carter nodded, "We're getting leads on where the boat was from, we're starting to put big pieces together, finally." Carter said, "And what I don't need is your girlfriend uncovering everything and blowing the entire thing up before we can get to it."

"What? Because she's a threat? Because you know she'd figure it all out quicker than any of your little elves you have working for you?" Punk asked as Carter rolled his eyes, "Walter won't do this. Walter won't let her go from the station. He loves April."

"He will if I tell him to." Carter said, "Phil, she'll have her job back when this is all over."

"That could take another ten years knowing you fucks." Punk spat, turning around from him or else he was going to lose it completely. He couldn't believe this.

"Believe me, it's gonna be quicker than you think." Carter said, "I just thought you should know. She'll be kept an eye on by some of my workers, to make sure she and your daughter are safe and ok." Carter nodded.

"You're just pushing too fucking far now." Punk nodded, "I'm trying so hard to just… understand that this is your job. That it's what you have to do, and that I'll see my family sooner, rather than later, but… this… this is just bullshit." Punk shook his head.

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Carter said, "Plenty of other cops have been in your position, in this house before you." He nodded, "And we've always successfully got the job done."

"Did it take you four years?" Punk asked.

"Some took longer." Carter said, "We're going as fast as we can. When this is all uncovered, it's gonna blow up on the news everywhere, so we have to make sure when we eliminate he target, we eliminate all of it." Carter said.

"You're making my girlfriend jobless." Punk spat, "She's gotta live. She's gotta eat, man." Punk shook his head.

"She'll have benefits and… she'll find another job, I'm sure. For the time being. I'll make sure to tell Walter to let her know that it's only temporary." Carter said as Punk just shook his head, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it this time." Punk shook his head, "I want to be left alone." He said as Carter nodded.

"I'll see myself out." Carter nodded, leaving the kitchen as Punk collapsed down on the seat at the table, placing his hands in his hair and leaning his elbows on the table. He couldn't take this any longer. He had to take action. His own action. He had to get out of this place.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	6. Run

**Run**

* * *

The next day, Punk had already began thinking fast on his feet. He wasn't doing this anymore. He refused to. He would rather have been tortured and beaten up than sit any longer in this house with just his own thoughts boggling his mind. He tried to escape once, but he was desperate then, and reckless. He hadn't thought about anything. He thought he could just run and keep running, but this time, this time… he was thinking of a plan.

He packed a bag with things that he would need. He thought ahead and packed essential things like water. Believe it or not, he had no clue where he was. No one would ever tell him.

He then sat in the kitchen for most of the day and waited for Carter to drop by. He didn't want to do this, but he felt like he had no choice.

"Phil?" Carter called out as he entered the house.

"In here!" Punk called from the kitchen as he heard the footsteps approach, watching as Carter walked into the kitchen.

"So I spoke with Walter." Carter said, "I'm thinking maybe we could figure something out with April. Maybe we just find a way to get her off the case instead of… letting her go completely." Carter said, "I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet." He spoke to himself whilst putting his bag up on the kitchen counter, turning around into a hard smack on the head as he fell to the ground unconscious.

"Sorry." Punk stood back, throwing down the wooden board he'd used as he looked down at Carter unconscious. He grabbed the backpack he had hidden in one of the kitchen cupboards, taking it out and opening up Carter's bag to find anything useful.

Once finding some useful things such as taking his cell phone and some other devices he didn't know how to use, he pulled Carter up onto one of the kitchen chairs and began to tie him up. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but he had to make his own move now.

He checked the inside of Carter's suit jacket, smiling as he felt the gun, pulling it out and checking that it was loaded, looking down at it in his hand. It felt so heavy. He hadn't held a gun in so long.

He tossed the gun into his backpack, zipping it up and putting his arms through the handles, folding his hood over his head as he grabbed a knife from the kitchen, walking over to Carter and tapping his cheek hard, trying his best to help him gain conscious.

"Huh… what…" Carter opened his eyes, trying to move as he looked around.

"This isn't anything against you." Punk said, "But I gotta do this. I don't need your protection." He shook his head, "When I leave this house, you're not gonna catch up to me, so don't waste your time trying to find me." He said.

"Phil, I swear to God." Carter tried to wriggle out of the chair.

"You've wasted too much of your time on this." Punk told him.

"You don't understand the types of people you're dealing with." Carter shook his head.

"Someone's gotta do something." Punk said, "Here is a knife." He held the large kitchen knife up, "I'm gonna sit it over here." He walked across the kitchen and sat it on the floor, "Get to that, and you can cut yourself free." Punk nodded, "Although… the rope is pretty thick. You might be there for a while." He said.

"You son of a bitch." Carter spat, "You're gonna die."

"I'm already dead. Remember?" Punk said, walking back over to him, "Now you can sit behind your computer screens with all your government buddies in the secret service and whatever it is you do, but I'm gonna go back to my family, and I'm gonna find these fuckers, and we're gonna take them down." Punk nodded as Carter just laughed.

"If you go back there you put everyone you love in danger." Carter said, "Including your daughter and your girlfriend." He said, "You're making a huge mistake, and I will find you. You won't make it far."

"You won't find me." Punk shook his head, "Thank you. For wasting so much of my time. I really appreciated it. And when all of this is over, maybe… I'll buy you a drink." Punk nodded as Carter shook his head angrily, watching as Punk fled the kitchen.

"Phil!" Carter yelled, listening as the front door opened and closed.

Punk began running down the long pathway that led to the door, listening as the alarms began to go off and the lights began to shine brightly around the house. He knew the place was covered in cameras, and it would only be a matter of time before more people came to the house, so he made his minutes count.

He approached the large gates where the rest of the place was covered in brick walls. He threw his bag over the large gate and began climbing it, jumping down and grabbing his bag, running off into what seemed like fields, never looking back.

Perhaps it would have been wise for him to do this three or two years ago, but he'd spent so much time daydreaming of false hope. He wanted to cooperate with Carter, he wanted to trust them in what they were doing, but he couldn't take it anymore. He didn't know what he was up against yet, but he was willing to get through it to get back to his family.

* * *

"Have you brushed your teeth, baby?" AJ asked, sitting at the kitchen table on her laptop with other paper work around her whilst Nova had been sitting on the couch, dressing Ace with all his different bandanas whilst the dog lay unamused.

"It's not bed time." Nova turned to her sadly.

"It will be soon." AJ said, taking her glasses off and turning around to her, "So I called Cheryl's parents, the girl having the sleepover." AJ said as Nova nodded, "I told them you'd love to come to the sleepover." AJ nodded.

"Can I really go?" Nova smiled excitedly, running over to her mother, abandoning Ace as she stood beside her mother who nodded.

"Yeah, you can go." AJ smiled, "I just like to know where you'll be and who you're with, that was all." AJ tucked a strand of Nova's hair behind her ear as the five-year-old smiled excitedly, "You've never stayed away before." AJ pointed out, "I'm not gonna get a call at 2am asking me to come pick you up, am I?" She smiled.

"No." Nova shook her head, as if that was an absurd thing to say, "It's a party." She said.

"I know but you're gonna be staying somewhere else." AJ said. She wasn't sure Nova quite understood the concept of a sleepover. She didn't want her baby to be scared staying someplace else.

"I'm with my friends." Nova shrugged as AJ smiled.

"You'll have fun." AJ nodded, "But I'll miss you." She said as Nova rolled her eyes.

"It's just a sleepover, mommy." Nova said modestly, wandering back over to the couch as AJ laughed lightly. Her little spirit kept her going, it always had done.

"Bed time soon, ok?" AJ said, turning back to her work.

"Ok." Nova nodded, going back to playing with Ace whilst AJ went back to her work.

She was still working on the case of the abandoned boat with the drugs, and so far, she had got a few leads when she had spoken to a few people. She'd found an address from a car passing up and down the road beside the port round about the time that the boat was coming in, her and Rocky agreed that it must have been someone keeping an eye out for the incoming of the boat.

She was searching through her laptop and different work, tracking the car to an address that she then ran, shaking her head with confusion as she looked at the name of the previous owner.

"What the hell?" She shook her head.

"Swear jar!" Nova exclaimed from the sofa as AJ dismissed her out of confusion, "Put a penny in the swear jar, mommy." Nova sad.

"In a minute, baby." AJ promised her as she looked further into things, picking up her phone and calling Rocky as she stood up, "Hey, Rock. Sorry it's so late." AJ said once Rocky picked up, "Listen, maybe I'm going out of my mind but… that car that we found out was driving up and down the port… I located it back to an address and it's… it's Tony's old apartment."

"Tony?" Rocky asked.

"Tony Potts. The guy who… killed himself in front of me and Phil." AJ said in a quieter voice, running her hands through her hair as she looked down at her laptop, "Didn't his friends rent out his apartment after he died?" She asked.

"Yeah, they did. I remember checking it at the time." Rocky said.

"And Tony was on drugs at the time he died, right?" AJ said, getting everything up from Tony's case as she looked through it.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he was." Rocky said, "You think it's his clique that are trying to smuggle the drugs in?" He asked.

"It looks pretty fitting." AJ nodded, "What do you say we go check it out tomorrow?" She asked him.

"Wait… you're asking for my help?" Rocky asked sarcastically as AJ smiled to herself.

"Yes. I am. Don't get used to it." AJ shook her head as Nova ran up to her.

"Who is it? Who is it?" Nova jumped up and down in front of her.

"It's uncle Rocky." AJ said.

"Can I say hi?" Nova asked.

"Ok, Rock. Nova wants to say hi to you." AJ smiled, handing her cell to Nova who pressed it against her ear.

"Hi, Rocky." Nova smiled.

"Hey, kid. What you up to?" Rocky asked whilst Nova wandered away to the couch again, talking away to Rocky whilst AJ looked down at her laptop, running her hands through her hair. This didn't look good.

* * *

Punk felt like he had been running for what felt like hours, and that was just through fields. He really had been out in the middle of nowhere, and he still hadn't reached any land or city, until he came across a farm, which gave him frightening flashbacks.

Nevertheless, he ran up to the farm, knocking on the front door, doubling over himself as he tried to find his breath. All the times he'd spent in the gym had really paid off. Whilst waiting on someone coming to the door, he took out the cell he'd taken from Carter, still having no service.

"Can I help you?" The door opened as Punk looked up, his hood still up, looking on at the man standing with a gun.

"Woah. Hey. I just… I don't wanna cause trouble." He put his hands up in defence as the man lowered his large gun with relaxation, "I just… need you to tell me how far it is to the city?" Punk asked, "Actually… where even am I?" He gasped, still trying to find his breath.

The man looked at him like he had two heads. It was a little strange for someone to just show up at this time and ask where they were.

"Is someone after you?" He asked, still weary of talking to him.

"No, man. Hey, just let me know how much further I needa run to get to the city and I'll leave you alone." Punk promised, still breathing heavily.

"You're about another hour away from the main city." The man said, "But you're about… two hours from Mexico city, if that's where you're after." He said as Punk double blinked, his breath hitching under him.

"I'm in Mexico?" Punk asked the man who nodded with confusion.

"Are you ok?" The man asked, looking at Punk like he was an alien whilst Punk took his hood down, putting his hands on his hips.

"Mexico?" Punk asked as the man nodded.

"Why are you out here?" The man asked as Punk rubbed his hand over his forehead, wiping the sweat. He'd been running for at least two hours and he still had another hour or more to go until he'd meet any proper land, and even at that, he'd have to lay low since the city would be crawling with people looking for him. He needed to keep moving.

"I can't stay and talk." Punk shook his head, picking his bag back up, pushing his hood back over his head, "Thank you." Punk nodded to the man, getting back on track as he continued to run forward, realising that he had no passport or documents that could get him decent transport. He didn't think he'd thought this through.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! Won't be as simple as him running home and beating the bad guys. Trust me. Drop a review and let me know what you think. I appreciate the reviews so much.**


	7. Left

**Left**

* * *

"This place looks pretty neglected." AJ said the next day, walking up the steps to Tony's old apartment with Rocky beside her.

"That's never a good sign." Rocky shook his head, "These guys maybe just rented it out to… remember Tony, I don't know."

"Well they can't do that." AJ said, knocking on the apartment door, "Open up! This is the police!" AJ yelled, grabbing her gun from her side whilst Rocky had his at the ready too. Rocky was really only her work companion at the minute. Dean was figuring out his problems whilst Seth and Eve were off figuring out how to be parents.

AJ turned to Rocky after hearing no response and nodded to him, watching as he kicked in the door as they both walked into the apartment with raised guns, checking different rooms thoroughly until AJ started to come across strange things.

"Talk to me, Rocky." AJ said, pausing in the filthy kitchen as she looked upon everything in front of her.

"Nothing on my end." Rocky announced, walking into the kitchen, "What the hell is that?" He asked, walking over to AJ.

"It's just a… a big book of names." AJ shook her head, "And they have… numbers next to their names."

"Drug list maybe?" Rocky asked, "Set of keys too." He nodded over beside the fridge, "Wonder what they're for."

"I want this apartment on watch twenty-four seven, and anyone who comes in and out, I want them followed, see if we can figure out what they're up to. Makes sense for it to be a drug list, right?" She asked as Rocky nodded.

"We should get forensics on this, see whose prints come up, see who we're dealing with here." Rocky said as AJ nodded.

"I'm gonna take another look around." AJ said, leaving the kitchen as she began to look further around in the apartment, looking in drawers and under beds, trying her best to find something else that would be useful, when she pulled out a bag from underneath the bed, opening it up and finding a ton of cash inside the bag, "Oh my God." AJ shook her head, standing up from kneeling on the floor looking at the money, "Rocky, we need to find out who has been here." She said as Rocky walked into the bedroom.

"Oh God." Rocky looked at all the money, "I'll call forensics to get some prints ran on that book, and we'll have the apartment on watch twenty-four seven to see where it is they're going." He said as AJ nodded.

"Ok, let's go." AJ said, "This place has a draft and not a nice one." She said as they left the apartment, walking out of the building and out onto the street to get back into their car when AJ spotted a van sitting across the road. It was empty, but she recognised it, and suddenly it came back to her, "R-Rocky." AJ tapped Rocky as he paused and turned to her.

"What?" Rocky said.

"That… That van." AJ pointed, "That was the van that drove by and… and took shots at all of us." AJ looked up at him as Rocky looked across.

"C'mon, April. That was four years ago." Rocky shook his head, "There's a lot of white vans in Chicago." He said as AJ looked across at it. She just had a feeling, and she always trusted her feelings.

"Mhm." She just hummed it off.

"C'mon. Let's get back to the station." Rocky said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as they headed back to the car.

* * *

Once Punk had finally found some land after running for what felt like his entire life, he crashed at a bus station and fell asleep on the chairs, resting his head against his backpack. As soon as any glimpse of daylight hit, he got up and rushed to the woman in the box.

"Do you do direct buses to Chicago?" Punk asked her.

"No." The woman shook her head.

"What is the fastest bus that will get me to Chicago then?" Punk asked her as she rolled her eyes, chewing on her gum as she looked at the screens in front of her.

"The Detroit bus leaves in an hour. That'll get you to Chicago in three days." She said as Punk nodded. It was the best he had.

"Ok. Ok." Punk said, taking out Carter's wallet that he'd taken from him, taking out the cash and sliding it through the slot as the woman exchanged his bus ticket through, "Thank you." Punk said, putting his bag back on as he left the box and walked over to the screens to look for where to go for his bus.

That's when he saw the men in black suits walking around outside by the buses, looking like they were asking to check the bus before they left the station.

"Fuck." Punk spat, immediately turning away, rushing around the corner and pulling out Carter's cell phone, finally having service. He knew there was the possible chance of April and his friends having new numbers and new phones, so he called the station. Maybe it wasn't wise to call anyone considering they most likely would have a heart attack, and possibly just not believe it, but he had to let them know he was alive in some way.

"Chicago Police Department, how can I help?" Marie at reception answered as Punk ran his hands through his hair.

"Can you put me through to Detective Mendez, please." Punk said, his heart racing whilst he looked around the corner every second to make sure the men in suits were keeping outside.

"Detective Mendez is out right now, can I leave a name and a contact number for her to get back to you?" Marie asked as Punk groaned silently and banged his head against the wall he was leaning against.

"No. No, just… just tell her I said take the left." Punk shook his head.

"Uh… sir-" Marie began but Punk hung up and threw the phone back in the bag, running his hands over his face as he turned back around to look at the men in suits checking the buses.

There was no way that this was going to be his ticket out of here.

* * *

"Ok, so the book has been sent to Forensics and I got cops on watch duty tonight to see where the hell these fuckers are going." Rocky said as he and AJ walked back into the station.

"April." Marie said as AJ turned to look at her, "There was a call for you." She said as AJ walked over to the desk whilst Rocky headed into the station.

"Who from?" AJ wondered.

"Well it was a man, that's as much as I got." AJ said, "He didn't leave a name and… his phone number that he called on was untraceable." She said, "All he said was that I've to tell you that he said take the left." Marie shrugged as AJ shook her head.

"Am I supposed to…" AJ paused, "He told you to tell me?"

"Yeah. Then he just… hung up." Marie nodded as AJ shook her head. There was only one thing that came to her head when she heard that, and it was ridiculous for anyone to be on the phone saying that to her.

"He definitely said that?" AJ asked.

"Yeah." Marie said, "I know, I'm just as confused as you are." She admitted as AJ just nodded.

"Ok. Thanks." AJ nodded to her, walking into the station as her mind wandered. It was a strange thing for a random person to call and say, and when she heard it, she immediately thought of Punk, and the argument they had when she first went on the beat with him. She was just a rookie at the time, and whilst he told her to take the next left on a car chase, she took the right, and it was something he'd always joked about with her. She felt crazy for even entertaining he idea that that's what the person on the phone was talking about, but she couldn't figure out what else it was about.

She got into her office and took a seat, not being able to think straight after hearing that. Then Walter walked through her door.

"I didn't know you were coming." AJ shook her head with confusion.

"Yeah." Walter nodded, "Last minute drop in." Walter said, "I uh… I need to talk to you actually, that's why I'm dropping in." He said as AJ raised her eyebrows.

"Is everything ok?" AJ asked, standing up and looking across at him.

"Yeah." Walter nodded, "I just… I need to ask you to… leave this drug smuggling case alone. It's getting taken care of." He said as AJ raised her eyebrows.

"By who?" AJ almost laughed.

"Another station." Walter nodded quickly, already having his lines rehearsed, "They've got their leads and they know what they're doing." He said.

"It's in our area, though." AJ shook her head with confusion.

"I know but they've got it under control." Walter said as AJ just folded her arms, "Just leave it alone for me. Yeah?" Walter asked as AJ nodded slowly, "I've told Rocky too."

"Ok." AJ nodded suspiciously. She knew a liar when she saw one. Her whole job was based around looking liars in the face, "So it's being taken care of?" AJ asked.

"Yeah." Walter nodded, "Just focus on other things. Don't worry about it." He assured her as AJ just nodded, "You promise me?" He asked as AJ laughed a little.

"Yes." AJ nodded, "Is that all?" She asked.

"That is all." Walter nodded, "Good work on that murder case two weeks ago." He added in as AJ nodded. Walter had been really great to her these past four years. When Phil died, he made sure she had her space. He sent her flowers and cakes, gave her as much time off as she needed, and he made sure Phil was never forgotten in the station. She appreciated that.

"Can't I… still look at this drugs case, even if another station has it under control?" AJ asked.

"No, just leave it." Walter said, "Trust me, it's just some kids trying to sell drugs. It's already solved." He said as AJ just nodded.

"Ok." AJ nodded, "I won't look at it." AJ said as Walter nodded.

"Ok. I need to go. I'll see you again soon." He said as AJ nodded, watching him walk out of the office as she sat back down behind her desk with confusion. She'd never been told to leave a case alone in all her time working at the station. It seemed a little suspicious to her and she didn't understand why she wasn't allowed to look into it anymore.

She watched as Rocky came through the door.

"Walter talk to you?" He asked her as AJ nodded, "Looks like we're off the case then. You need me to do-"

"We're not off the case." AJ shook her head, "Something isn't right. There's a reason he doesn't want us looking into it and that is exactly why we're going to look into it." AJ said as Rocky sighed.

"This is what gets you in trouble, AJ." Rocky said.

"He's never pulled me from a case before, especially with a lame reason like that." AJ shook her head, "I'm gonna call Dan and ask if he can keep Nova for a little longer tonight, me and you are gonna wait outside that apartment and follow whoever comes out of it."

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	8. Meeting Point

**Meeting Point**

* * *

"I don't think we should be doing this." Rocky shook his head, sitting outside in the car with AJ later that night just outside the apartment they had gone to check out, "Maybe there's a reason Walter doesn't want us looking into this."

"All the more reason to find out what it is." AJ said, "Nothing is gonna happen. We're just gonna follow them." She said calmly, "Hey, look." She pointed as they watched two men walk out of the apartment block, "They look mad." AJ noticed.

"Probably because they know we were snooping around." Rocky said as AJ watched them as they got into the black car out front, "We don't know what we're running into here."

"We're not running into anything." AJ said, "We're just following them to see where they go." AJ said, starting the car and pulling out onto the road once the black car pulled away too, "I'll stay behind." She assured Rocky. It wasn't her first time following a car.

"It's probably just a club or a warehouse they're going to, to trade the drugs." Rocky shrugged whilst AJ concentrated on the road, trying not to be too suspicious as she drove slowly behind the car with the two men in it.

"Someone called the department today asking for me." AJ said, "And they didn't leave a name or a number, but they said to Marie to tell me to take the left." She said, "There's no valid explanation to someone calling up and saying that, and the first thing that came to my mind was… Phil." AJ said, "We used to joke around all the time about my first car chase, and he would always shout that to me after." AJ said.

"Yeah, I remember." Rocky nodded, "Someone called and said that?"

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "I don't… I don't understand." She shook her head as Rocky shook his head, equally confused.

"Could you trace the number?" Rocky asked as they continued to discreetly follow the black car.

"It was untraceable." AJ shrugged, "It's too personal for someone to know, and… it's too random for someone to just call up and say that." AJ shook her head as Rocky nodded in agreement, "Does it make sense to you?" She asked.

"Not in any way." Rocky said, "Like you said, it was a personal thing between you and Phil." He said as AJ nodded, slowing down when she noticed the car pulling in.

"Ok." AJ said quietly, pulling in behind another car, "Where the hell are they going?" She asked him.

"That's a cigar club they're going into." Rocky said, folding up his mini laptop in front of him as he ran specs on it, "The owner is a guy named Billy Stone. He's got no criminal record." He said as AJ leaned back on the seat, looking at the picture of the man that Rocky had gotten up. He was a tech wizard and could find things in seconds.

"So they're having drugs imported from France, then they're taking the drugs to the cigar club, and that's how they're getting their money?" AJ said as Rocky nodded.

"Could be." Rocky said, watching AJ turn the car engine off and open up her door, "What are you doing?" Rocky asked worriedly.

"I just wanna take a look around." AJ told him.

"April!" Rocky hissed as AJ shut the door over and headed down the sidewalk to the cigar club. Rocky got out after her, too nervous to let her go down there herself. She was a nightmare.

"April!" Rocky hissed quietly, catching up with AJ, "What are you doing? This could be dangerous."

"You go around the back and the side. I'll look around the front, see if you can see anything through the windows." AJ said as Rocky shook his head, nevertheless grabbing his gun and staying low to the ground as he headed down the side of the large building whilst AJ kept low at the front. She wanted to get a look inside, to see if she could see anything, but obviously she knew she had to be careful.

She slowly raised herself up to look into the window, still keeping low to the ground with a tight grip on her gun as she watched what looked like a massive confrontation. There had to be at least twenty guys standing in the room, and she could identify Billy clearly, who seemed to be angry. She could barely hear anything since the windows were double glazed with bars on them.

It wasn't a typical cigar club, it looked more like a place of meeting. AJ continued to watch the gathering, scanning the different faces as she then watched a trade happen, but it wasn't with drugs. There appeared to be a man just handing over a bag to Billy who took it and looked inside, clearly happy with what was inside. AJ couldn't make sense of it. Were these his workers selling the drugs and then giving him the money? It seemed like the only logical explanation.

She left to go back and find Rocky, shouting on him quietly as he came from behind the building, "You see anything?" AJ asked him as they rushed back to their car.

"No. Did you?" Rocky asked.

"Yeah." AJ said, "Yeah, I saw something." She nodded.

* * *

"Listen, man. I only got fifty bucks." Punk said, standing outside a car rental facility, "I'll give you the fifty and then when I return it, I'll pay you more, I promise." Punk nodded as the Mexican man shook his head.

"I only accept hundred or more." He said as Punk groaned to himself.

"It's an emergency." Punk pleaded, "I gotta get home. Ok. I need to get home." He told him, "I promise. I will return the car and I will pay you the rest, and I'll add in more for the inconvenience." Punk explained as the man looked at him.

He had to leave the bus station since it was crawling with Carter's agents and cops. He wasn't about to risk being imprisoned back in that house.

"Ok. I need some identification." The man sighed as Punk shook his head.

"I can't… I can't give you that either." Punk said as the man placed his hand on his hips.

"Are you shitting me?" The little man said as Punk shook his head.

"No. I don't have any ID with me. Just cash." Punk explained, "Just trust me." Punk placed his hands on the man's shoulders desperately, "Please, I'm desperate." He said as the man looked at him and sighed.

"Alright." The man nodded, "I'll put the car down as faulty, if anyone asks it's away getting fixed." The man said as Punk nodded.

"I could kiss you." Punk said.

"Don't." The man warned, walking away to get keys whilst Punk ran his hands through his hair. He was sweating. His jumper was tied around his waist, he'd already downed most of his water, and he knew he had a long drive ahead, but he wasn't stopping now.

"I promise I'll return the car in one piece with more money for you." Punk nodded, thankful to the man for letting him off, even though it was unprofessional and strictly speaking, illegal.

"You better." The man said, handing him the key, "If not, I sue you." He warned.

"Yeah yeah." Punk nodded, "Thank you." Punk pointed to him, rushing over to the car, throwing his bag into the passenger's side and turning the engine on, fixing up the built-in satnav and pulling away from the car park. There was only twenty-eight hours of road between him and his family now. He was so close.

* * *

AJ got back from picking Nova up from Dan's after spending the night with Rocky, looking into what they were told, not to look into. She couldn't help herself. It was in her nature to know things, and if it was sorted out like Walter had said, then those men wouldn't have been meeting so freely tonight. Something was telling her that Walter wanted her to stay out of this for a reason, and she wanted to find out why.

She got out of the car, noticing that Nova had fallen asleep in the car ride home, opening up the back door and lifting her out into her arms, shutting the door over and locking the car as she walked into the apartment block. She felt bad whenever she worked later, she knew Nova didn't like it, her little face always looked mad whenever she came to collect her later on.

She walked up the stairs, walking to their apartment door where she saw a box sitting outside. She opened up the door and walked into the apartment first, walking over and laying Nova down on the couch whilst Ace greeted her. Dean had been taking Ace out on his night time walk whilst AJ took him out in the morning with Nova before dropping her at school and heading to work.

"Hi, boy." AJ smiled, patting the dog on the head lovingly as Ace nudged her legs hello, walking over to Nova and lying down on the floor beside the couch. He had always been Nova's protector, even from when Punk was still here, and that had never left him. He was the man of the house and he kept them safe.

AJ walked back out to the apartment door with confusion, crouching down to the box as she slowly reached for the lid, opening it up quickly and immediately stumbling back as she looked down in horror, watching the slimy snake slither around in the box.

"Oh my God." AJ placed her hand on her racing heart, grabbing the lid and closing it back over onto the box as she rushed for her phone, calling Rocky who picked up immediately, "Someone put a snake in a box outside my apartment door." AJ placed her hand on her forehead.

* * *

"Have you got a track on him?" Carter asked, walking into his office as Justine followed him, "Because you better." He said.

"No, sir. We have nothing on him. Although, he has your phone and he did contact the Chicago police department." Justine said as Carter turned to him, standing amongst the offices of other agents.

"And?" Carter shook his head.

"And, he only got through to the receptionist, but he left a message, I think it's a code for April. I left the audio in your office." She said as Carter nodded.

"But you don't know where he is?" Carter asked.

"No, sir. We can't trace where your phone is and he hasn't used any of your cards on anything. He wasn't at the bus station or airport either."

"Well he can't just disappear into thin air!" Carter yelled as people turned around, taking a deep breath.

"Sir, would you like a glass of water?" Justine asked.

"No. I want Phil back in that house." Carter warned, "We're trying to run a successful cover-up here. We don't want this getting out. And if he gets back to his girl and his team, they are going to put all of this together." Carter spat, running his hands through his hair, "Our job is to make sure no one finds out about this gang. That's government orders. It's bad for press, it's bad for the public, and we can't have it going to smoke." Carter said, "That's why we put him in that house in the first place." Carter shook his head, "Just find him. Ok? Just find him." He said as Justine nodded.

"Yes, sir." Justine said, walking off as Carter walked through his office door, slamming it shut behind him.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! I get it might be a little confusing, but hopefully it'll start to make sense. Thanks for the reviews.**


	9. Call Back

**Call Back**

* * *

" _How is he?" Walter asked, sitting across from Carter in a private table in a rooftop restaurant, well out the way of all the other tables like Carter had requested. It had been a week since Punk had been airlifted to Mexico, still in critical condition._

" _He's hanging in there." Carter nodded, "He's got a medical team working around the clock for him, provided by us, of course." He said, "But he's not getting up on his feet any time soon."_

" _You shouldn't have moved him so soon." Walter said, "I can't believe he's still hanging on." He admitted, reaching for his water and taking a sip._

" _He's a tough kid." Carter complimented, "How did the funeral go?" He asked as Walter nodded._

" _Yeah, it was fine." Walter waved his hand, having a hard time accepting all of this, "I came here to talk about what you're planning to do now that you have him and everyone thinks he's dead." He said as Carter nodded._

" _He stays with us. Under our watch. Until we say so." Carter said._

" _You realise what you're doing is illegal?" Walter said, "Trying to… trying to cover-up this… this highly intensified crime, just because it looks bad on the outside world." Walter said, "You're just as bad as they are."_

" _It will be better for everyone." Carter said, "And if we let Phil go back home, ultimately they would come back and try to kill him again. So even though our motive isn't to protect him, we're still protecting him." He said, "He's better off hidden. For his own sake."_

" _No, you just feel threatened that he and the rest of my officers at the station are smart enough to uncover all of this." Walter said, "The public will always have something to say. This is dangerous people walking amongst us and they have to be taken down. We can't just ignore it." Walter shook his head, "Hiding people and hiding facts isn't going to help anyone."_

" _My job isn't to help people. It's to keep the truth hidden. That's why it's called a cover-up." Carter said, "I work for the government, ok? And if they say this is what's best, then I'm going to follow orders. I'm not allies with these men, ok? I'm not encouraging them, I'm just… simply ignoring it, and making sure no one finds out about it, no one as in Phil Brooks."_

" _You're just as bad then." Walter shook his head._

" _Has the girlfriend been looking around? I know she's a curious one." Carter said._

" _No. She's not been at work. She's not actually came out of her apartment besides the funeral." Walter said, "She's heartbroken." He sighed._

" _She'll move on. They all do." Carter said._

" _Do you have any decent bone in your body?" Walter spat, "I don't care if you're working for the government or if you're working for yourself, what you're doing is wrong, and it's not what's best." Walter said, "What's best is having every uniformed cop out there looking for these men, arresting them, and getting Phil back to his family, where he belongs." Walter said, "Don't you see the wrong in all of this?" Walter asked._

" _Like I said, I'm just following orders as are the other agents I work alongside." Carter said, "This is what happened, we kept a close eye on these men, this cult if you will, we know what they're up to, what they look like, where they are, and then they shoot a cop. That's when we have to make the move to clear every vulnerable link in the equation."_

" _To keep this… group safe? You'd rather keep this gang, these awful men safe than your own countries police officers?"_

" _No. Because I'm keeping Phil safe right now. Aren't I?" Carter said._

" _Whilst tearing apart his entire world." Walter said, "How can I live with this?"_

" _Because I'm telling you to." Carter said, "Things will be taken care of in the future, but it's best for everyone if we keep this quiet."_

" _You're not going to take care of it at all, are you?" Walter said, "What are you going to tell him?"_

" _We're telling him that he's in protection and that he has to stay there until we find these men." Carter said._

" _All the while you're doing everything in your power to make sure no one finds them?" Walter spat as Carter nodded, "This is some bullshit. Never have I came across something so absurd." He shook his head._

" _Look, Phil is in a bad way right now anyway. He's like a skeleton. He might not even make it past this week, or the next. He still isn't breathing on his own." Carter said, "But if he pulls through it, he'll stay under our supervision and our watch for as long as we say." He said._

" _You don't care that he has a family? He has a baby and a girlfriend." Walter said._

" _This has to be done." Carter said, "And you have to do as I say, or else your job is on the line." He warned as Walter sighed, shaking his head, "We're not the bad guys here. We're just trying to make the world seem like a better place."_

" _You're not the bad guys?" Walter laughed, "You might not be, but you might as well be with what you're doing." Walter shook his head, "This will come back and bite you in the ass one way or another." He said._

" _No, it won't." Carter said, "Just you keep your officers in line. You do your job, we'll do ours. Simple." He said as Walter sighed, looking across at him._

* * *

Punk had been driving all through the night until he had to stop for gas, pulling in and filling up the tank, thankfully remembering to put money aside for gas in the case that he got his hands on a car. He couldn't believe he managed to convince the man at the car rental place to give him the car for fifty bucks without any ID. He promised he'd go back and buy the man a whole new car if he wanted, just to show his appreciation for giving him the car.

He filled up the tank, paid for the gas at the slot, returned back to his car and took the phone out again. He knew AJ wouldn't be at the station, so he didn't want to call there again, and he assumed she'd changed her cell number since the last time, but he figured he'd give the house phone a try. He knew it was late and she'd probably be in bed, but he just wanted to talk to her, to let her know he was ok. Maybe phoning wasn't the best idea considering she thought he was dead for all these years, but he couldn't hold off any longer.

Meanwhile back in Chicago, after AJ had called animal control, and Rocky had come around to comfort her after the distress of having a snake dumped on her doorstep, which was obviously a message from someone, she managed to get to bed. Rocky had left about half an hour ago and both AJ and Nova were completely out cold, until the house phone rang from inside the living room, where Ace immediately sat up.

A door then squeaked open, little footsteps running out of her bedroom as she rushed to the phone, picking it up with hazy eyes, even though her mother emphasised never to answer the phone or door by herself, but it had woken her up and she wanted it to be quiet.

"Hello, it's night time you shouldn't be calling." Nova answered as the line was silent, "Hello." Nova emphasised on the 'o' at the end, standing in her pyjamas tiredly, but the line was silent, "Call back when we're not sleeping." Nova informed the caller, placing it back down on the hook as she ran back to her bed, "Ace." She whispered on the dog who looked across at her and ran over to her, "Shh, don't tell mommy." She giggled, hugging the dog and letting him lie at the bottom of her bed as she snuggled back down under the covers.

Punk stood beside his car, the phone sitting on the roof of the car whilst he leaned his head along the top of it, his shoulders shaking up and down as tears blinked down his cheeks. He knew the difference between a child's voice and an adult's voice, and he knew that was his daughter who he had just heard. He'd never even heard her say her first word before until right there and then.

He looked up, looking around the empty gas station as he got himself together. He couldn't even bring himself to say anything. He just froze at the sound of her chirpy, frail but adorable voice.

"Hey, man. You ok?" The man behind the slot in the gas station called out as Punk nodded, raising his hand to assure him as he got back into the car, taking the phone from the roof and turning the engine back on, taking a deep breath and trying to find some sort of composure, not being able to get that little voice out of his head as he took off back onto the road.

* * *

"Ok, I done you cheese sandwiches today." AJ said the next morning as she put the brown paper bag into Nova's backpack, getting ready to leave for work and school.

"I don't like cheese." Nova screwed her eyes up, "You know that."

"You like mac n cheese, though." AJ shook her head with confusion.

"But I don't like cheese sandwiches." Nova informed her, "I guess I'll just eat them." She shook her head sadly as AJ handed her bag to her.

"I'm sorry, baby. We can go to the store tonight and you can pick some things, ok?" AJ said, feeling a little flustered as of late with everything going on, trying not to let it show with Nova was pretty hard.

"Ok." Nova nodded.

"And don't think I don't know that Ace slept in beside you last night." AJ said, putting her coat on whilst Nova stood waiting on her mother.

"It was after I answered the phone." Nova explained, "So it wasn't all night."

"The phone?" AJ shook her head, grabbing her folders from the desk as they headed out of the apartment, "When did you answer the phone?"

"During the night." Nova explained as she ran down the stairs, jumping down a few, skipping down a few, a ball of energy in the morning to say the least.

"Hey, come here a second." AJ paused after the first flight of stairs as Nova looked up at her, "Who was on the phone? Why didn't you wake me?" She asked.

"It was no one." Nova said, "I heard it and it wouldn't stop so I got up and answered it." Nova said.

"You should have woken me, Nova." AJ said sternly.

"There was no one there." Nova said with frustration, "It must have been a ghosty." She wiggled her fingers at her mother who couldn't help smile.

"Must have been." AJ nodded, "Ok, but seriously… if the phone goes you let me know, ok? Especially at that time of night." AJ shook her head. She must have been out cold to not have heard the phone and it seemed a little strange for them to get a phone call at that time of night. She'd redial the number later when she got home from what was bound to be a busy day at work.

"Let's go!" Nova explained excitedly, holding onto her bag straps as she continued to rush down the stairs again as AJ followed, "Hi, Mrs Keller." She waved to the lady who stayed below and across the landing.

"Hello, Nova." The lady smiled sweetly as AJ also said hello too trying to keep up with Nova, leaving the apartment block and getting to the car where AJ proceeded to drive Nova to school.

* * *

Once they got to school, AJ walked Nova in through the playground where her teacher was outside waiting by the door. She crouched down, fixing the straps on Nova's denim overalls she was wearing.

"You take your cap off when you get inside, right?" AJ asked her daughter who nodded, "Do you, really?" She asked again.

"Sometimes." Nova shrugged, "Sometimes it's good cause I don't have to look at people." She said as AJ smiled to herself.

"My girl." AJ flicked her chin playfully, "Ok, Grandpa Dan will pick you up today and take you to his house."

"Will you be late again?" Nova sighed as AJ watched her sad little face.

"I shouldn't be late tonight, baby. I'll try not to be." She said, cupping her daughter's caramel cheeks, "You have the best day, yeah?" She smiled as Nova nodded, "Ok, give me a hug." AJ said, wrapping her arms around her daughter's little body, looking past her shoulder as other parents dropped their kids off, gulping with terror as she spotted the man from the cigar club, the owner of the cigar club, walk hand in hand with a girl Nova's age.

"Nova." AJ said, tearing away from the hug, "Who is that little girl?" AJ pointed over discreetly.

"Uh…" Nova looked up, tilting her head since her cap was in the way, "Oh, that's Cheryl. She's the girl having the sleepover this weekend." Nova turned to her mother as AJ gulped.

"And that's her dad?" AJ said as Nova shrugged.

"I don't know." Nova mumbled, "Can I go now?" She asked.

A part of AJ didn't want to let Nova go, but she was safe at school.

"Yes. Yes on you go." AJ forced a smile, "I love you." She said as Nova ran away, shouting I love you back as she ran off to her teacher whilst AJ got back up to her feet, looking over at the man she'd saw take the money in the cigar club, watching as he said goodbye to what she assumed was his daughter.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	10. No Go

**No Go**

* * *

"Are you sure it was definitely him?" Rocky asked after AJ had got into the station later that day after dropping Nova off at school.

"I'm positive." AJ said, "There is no way in hell that Nova is going to that house this weekend." AJ shook her head, "No way." AJ said, "Someone doesn't want us looking at this case, and I wanna know why. Walter never pulls us from cases. Ever." AJ said, "And I'm not buying his bullshit excuse that it's getting taken care of when we saw first-hand that this group and these drugs are still being smuggled in and sold." AJ said, sitting behind her desk as Rocky walked up and down in front of her.

"So we're assuming that the drugs are being smuggled in from France. This group of men are selling the drugs and then giving the money to Billy, the owner of a cigar club?" Rocky said as AJ nodded, "Why aren't we allowed to look at the case then? What's so bad about it?"

"That's what I'm saying to you. There's something that Walter doesn't want us to know and I can't even think about what it could be." AJ admitted, "And now I think someone is on to me because they're leaving snakes at my door and calling me during the night." AJ shook her head tiredly.

"Alright, take a breath." Rocky said, "You don't think…" Rocky paused and shook his head.

"I don't think what?" AJ said as Rocky took a seat across from her desk.

"Well, Tony wanted Phil to be blamed for his death, and Tony is connected to these guys, he obviously worked with them, and you said you saw the same van outside the apartment that drove by and… and ended up killing Phil." Rocky said, "Do you think these guys have anything to do with Phil's death?" Rocky asked as AJ sighed.

It was a hard truth that AJ didn't want to believe, but there were some links.

"I don't know, Rocky." AJ shook her head.

"Maybe that's why Walter doesn't want us looking into it. Maybe he thinks it'll upset you too much. Like it's too close to home." Rocky said.

"It still needs to be dealt with, whether Phil's death has anything to do with it or not." AJ said, "I say we… we continue to look into it. Follow these guys around, see where they're selling their drugs. And keep a close eye on Billy." AJ said as Rocky nodded in agreement, "And if they did…" She calmed herself, "If they did kill Phil… then we get them." AJ looked up at Rocky who nodded, "And we put them away for life."

* * *

Punk was another few hours away from Chicago. All his eyes felt like they could see was concrete. He was driving with the sound of his daughter's voice in his head. It was so sweet, and he only wished he could see her, to put her voice to her face. He hadn't actually thought deeply about when he was going to come face to face with her and April, it was something he'd thought about in daydreams and in his sleep, but he'd never really thought about it, since he didn't think it was going to happen soon.

He just couldn't wait to wrap his arms around them, both of them. But he also knew that… things weren't how he left them. Four years had gone by. There was a good chance his daughter didn't even know who he was, and who was to say AJ would be the same after the trauma of everything.

He drove for a little while longer until he stopped in at a row of stores next to a library. He hadn't eaten in a while, and decided to quickly grab something and take a rest in the library since he'd been driving practically for twenty-four hours.

He parked the car, bought some food and walked into the library where he got a seat at the back, opening up his backpack as he took out Carter's phone curiously. He'd not really had time to stop and take a breather, and the first thing he wanted to do was check the man's phone to see what was on it, and if there was any information about these men, this gang, that would be useful to him.

But as he began to read messages, and listen to voicemails that had been left, he slowly but surely began to realise these agents who were 'protecting him' weren't protecting him, they were keeping him out of the way, and this was shady government business. For four years, the people who promised him they were working on things, so he could get home, were doing everything but working on anything, and as he read the messages and listened to voice calls he began to understand what type of agents they really were. They covered-up the bad stuff to make themselves look better.

He'd never been as angry as he was right now.

* * *

AJ had gotten home after a day spent in the office with Rocky, trying their best to look into things and get a surface to work on and to keep on top of things. They planned on staying late the next few days to follow around the different men, to see what they were up to and where they were going, as well as keeping an eye on Billy. They also planned to make a trip to the cigar club under cover, not as cops, just to see what was going on.

If Walter wasn't going to allow them to look at the case, then they were going to do it on their own, especially now that it seemed like her boyfriend's death had something to do with these men.

She'd picked up Nova from Dan's and took her back to the apartment where she cooked them dinner and then helped her with her homework. Normal life still had to prevail in a way. She was still a mom trying to do right by her daughter, and she wanted home life to stay as normal as it could for Nova's sake.

"Ok, what about this one here?" AJ said, sitting next to Nova at the kitchen table, helping her with her math homework which she seemed to fly through quite comfortably.

"Done." Nova smiled happily, closing her math book quickly as she shoved her homework away with excitement, "Now can I go watch TV?" She smiled as AJ played with her hair.

"Yeah, but… I need to talk to you for a second." AJ said as Nova looked up at her, "This… sleepover you're going to, I don't think you can go anymore, baby." AJ shook her head as Nova's smile faded and she looked up at her mother sadly, "I just don't think it's a very good idea, that's all. I think… I think you're too young for a sleepover." AJ tried to cover up with an excuse as Nova folded her arms in a huff.

"You never lets me go anywhere." Nova huffed sadly.

"That's not true." AJ sighed, "Me and you can do something fun this weekend. We'll do whatever you want to do." AJ smiled, flicking her chin as Nova pushed her hand away, "Nova." AJ sighed.

"I'm the only one not going." Nova jumped down from the chair, "All of the other mommy's and daddy's are ok with it." Nova said.

"Nova." AJ tried to soothe her.

"If I had a daddy would he let me go?" Nova asked her as AJ gulped.

"Baby you did have a daddy, and he wouldn't have let you go either, trust me." AJ said.

"Where is he?" Nova placed one socked foot on top of the other as she still stood with her arms folded. She'd never really bothered about asking about her father, it never really came up, but she did feel a little different from all the other kids at school when they talked about their mom's and dad's. She just assumed she didn't have one.

"He's just not here anymore." AJ told her, "But he loved you. He loved you so much." She said, taking her small hands in hers as Nova ripped her hands away from her angrily.

"Was he mean like you?" Nova exclaimed, "Because you're mean. I wanna go to the sleepover." She said.

"There will be plenty of other parties for you to go to, sweetheart." AJ said. She did feel bad, but there was no way in hell that Nova was going anywhere near a house which a drug seller and possibly addict lived.

"That's no fair!" Nova said, running away to her room and banging the door shut as AJ sighed, placing her hands over her face tiredly. Things were never getting any easier.

* * *

" _Sweet dreams my baby girl." AJ whispered, looking down at her one-year old daughter in her crib, tucking up the blanket over her as she walked out of the nursery. It was the day after Phil's funeral, and AJ didn't even know how to feel. She was wearing one of Phil's t-shirts since it still smelt like him, with some sweats. She'd been in bed all day. She felt helpless and alone._

 _She walked back over to the couch where she had been lying with a blanket, refilling her cup of coffee every two hours whilst having Ace lie at her feet to warm them up. She would watch TV, but really it wasn't necessary to be on, since she was just lying and staring into space._

 _She would then call Punk's cell phone, just to hear his voice when it went through to his voicemail. Hearing his voice meant the world, and she sat some nights just calling him over and over again to hear him._

 _Just as she got back to the couch, she heard a knock at the apartment door and walked over to answer it, opening it up as she saw Seth and Dean standing with one box each._

" _Sorry, it's so late." Seth said, "We uh… we cleared Phil's desk today." He nodded as AJ took a deep breath, "We just trashed the stuff we thought you wouldn't want, but there's some stuff you might wanna look through." He said as they walked in and dumped the two boxes on the couch, both of them giving AJ a hug, but leaving very quickly. They understood at this time, she just wanted space, and to be left alone._

 _AJ wandered back to the couch once they had left and opened up the first box. Most of it was just some reports that still needed filing, but there was a framed picture of her and Nova which sat on his desk that made her smile tearfully… and then she picked up a velvet box, opening it up slowly as she gazed at the diamond ring sitting in the cushion._

 _Her hand felt weak holding it, and she wondered how long he'd had it, and when he was planning to put it to use. She sat the velvet box down on the coffee table and cried to herself, placing her hands over her face as she lay down on the couch, curling into the foetal position as she stared at the engagement ring. She only wished now she'd pushed her fears aside and gotten married to him. But her fears had proven her right, since she had lost him, and there would be no marriage._

 _She then cried herself to sleep._

* * *

AJ walked into Nova's room after letting her cool off, walking on into the room as she saw Nova in bed, still in her clothes, "Baby, what are you doing?" AJ sighed, walking closer to her as she noticed she had been crying, "Oh, please don't cry." AJ shook her head, crouching down by her bedside.

"Why can't I go?" Nova cried sadly as AJ immediately wiped her cheeks.

"I just… I don't think you'll enjoy it, ok? Mommy knows best. I know you better than anyone in this whole world. And I don't think you'll like staying at someone else's house." AJ said, trying her best to make her excuse seem reasonable.

"But I'll be ok." Nova sighed.

"I just want you to be safe, baby." AJ said, "I promise, we'll do something special. We'll-We'll go to the zoo and see the animals, or we'll go for pizza, or go out on a boat ride… anything… we'll do it."

"But you're always working." Nova sighed, wiping her own tears now as AJ sighed. There was nothing more painful than her crying daughter.

"I won't be then. We'll do something together, and you won't even think twice about the sleepover." AJ said, "I just think you're too young." She said. She did have her doubts anyway that Nova would be unsure of staying over in someone's house, she assumed she would end up getting a call at 3am asking her to come pick her up. She wasn't trying to be strict, she just wanted to protect her daughter.

"Can we go to the zoo then?" Nova muffled sadly as AJ nodded.

"Yeah." AJ smiled, "You know, your daddy loved the zoo." AJ said bravely. A part of her was always scared to mention Phil to her. She didn't want to tell her how amazing her father was, because she knew she'd never get to experience just how amazing he was, and that only made her sad, but she wanted her to know that he loved her, because he did. So much.

"Am I like him?" Nova asked curiously, sitting up in her bed as AJ nodded with a smile.

"So like him." AJ grinned to her, "Stroppy like him." She pinched her cheek as Nova gasped.

"I'm not stroppy." Nova said as AJ smiled, lifting her up as Nova clung to her like a little bear cub.

"I know." AJ smiled, kissing her cheek, "We'll have our own fun this weekend, I promise you." She said, kissing her daughter's cheek as Nova just smiled, hugging AJ tightly as AJ hugged her back just as tight. They were used to having only each other.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	11. Passing Ships In The Night

**Passing Ships In The Night**

* * *

"Did you really have to get that?" AJ asked the next night, sitting in the car outside the cigar club with Rocky who had just come back from grabbing a cheeseburger. They weren't directly outside the cigar club, but they were leering back on the street and keeping a watch on who was coming out and going in.

"I was hungry. My wife was making a curry tonight. I blew off a curry to come help you." Rocky said, getting back in the passenger's seat.

"You don't have to help me." AJ told him, "I can do this on my own." She said. She didn't want him to feel like he had to be there.

"I want to help you." Rocky assured her, "If this has… anything to do with Phil's death, then… then you bet your ass I'm gonna help you. But… I get hungry on the job." He said, biting into his burger as AJ smiled, "How did Nova take it? When you told her you weren't letting her go to the sleepover? Kid won't really understand." He shook his head.

"She was upset and mad." AJ nodded, "And she was crying." She sighed, still feeling bad, "But… I promised her me and her would do something fun at the weekend." AJ nodded, "I just… I can't go through with it, I don't care if I'm being over protective. I'm not having my daughter in the same house as this man." AJ said, "No way."

"No, you have every right to feel like that. I'd do the same thing." Rocky nodded.

"She… she brought up Phil." AJ said, still thinking about it, "She's never really acknowledged that she has a dad… or… had a dad." AJ rephrased, "I used to sit with her when she was smaller, she'd fall asleep in my arms and I'd talk to her about him but… she's grew up with the idea that she just… doesn't have a dad. I thought that'd be easier for her. I don't want to tell her she had this… great dad when she's never gonna get to… meet him." AJ sighed sadly.

"You should still tell her how much he loved her." Rocky said, "What did Nova ask about him?"

"Well at first, she said that if she had a daddy, he'd let her go to the sleepover." AJ smiled a little.

"No, he certainly wouldn't." Rocky chuckled a little as AJ nodded.

"That's what I said." AJ said, "And then later on, she said she wanted to go to the zoo and… I said Phil used to love going to the zoo… he used to always take me… and she asked if she was like him." AJ said, "It's like she knows she had a dad but… she just assumes he's not here anymore." AJ said.

"You should talk about him more. Keep his memory alive. He'd want that." Rocky nodded, "I know it's hard for you to talk about it, knowing she'll never see him or get to know him, but… she deserves to know he was a good man, that loved her." Rocky said as AJ nodded.

"Yeah." AJ smiled to herself, "I keep asking myself what he'd do in this situation. If roles were reversed and he was here with Nova, and I was the one who died." AJ said, "What would he be doing?"

"He'd be chasing down the motherfuckers who killed you, let's face it." Rocky said honestly as AJ nodded, "I guess you two were alike in that way." He nodded, finishing off his burger, "So where are you taking Nova this weekend?"

"The zoo." AJ smiled, "Yeah, it'll be nice to have a day off and just… relax." AJ took a deep breath, "I've been working late a lot and I don't want to be one of those moms who only sees their kid in the morning and at night. You know." AJ said as Rocky nodded, "I wanna get at least a few more leads before the weekend comes, like who sent that snake to my apartment door." AJ hissed.

"And what about the phone call?" Rocky asked.

"I redialled it last night, but no one answered." AJ shrugged, "Maybe it was just a butt dial or a wrong number." AJ shrugged, "I didn't recognise it."

"And what about the call that Marie took for you? The whole… take a left thing?" Rocky said.

"I have no idea." AJ shook her head, "So much is going on that I can't keep up with." She shook her head, running her hand over her face.

"Oh, hey look." Rocky sat up, scrunching the wrapper from his burger up and sitting it down the side of the car door as AJ sat up, looking on as two men left the cigar club with a large black bag, "Do we follow them?" Rocky asked as AJ already turned the engine on.

"Yes, we follow them." AJ nodded, pulling out from beside the sidewalk, keeping behind but staying on route the same way as the car was going, "If we have visual evidence of drugs being sold, we can start piecing this together." AJ said as Rocky nodded, "Whether Walter likes it or not."

They followed the car for fifteen minutes until finally it stopped in front of an empty building site with nothing around it, "Ok, seriously?" Rocky shook his head with confusion, "What are they? Builders?" He shook his head.

"Shh." AJ put her hand up, pulling up beside the sidewalk unnoticed as the two men got out of the car with the bag and walked on through the building site, "What the hell is in there?" AJ shook her head, "You got your gun?" She turned to him as Rocky nodded, "Let's go check this out." AJ said as Rocky nodded, getting out of the car as they walked quietly down the sidewalk and into the building site. It was all mucky with diggers around, as if new offices were being built. The scaffolding was up, but the insides seemed to be finished.

"You go that way, stay low." AJ pointed as they split up, both of them staying low clutching their guns as they wandered around.

AJ stayed low, walking around the half-built building, slowly raising herself up to look in one of the windows but it was just an empty wooden room. She moved around further and when she looked in the next window, she felt sick to her stomach. She knew exactly what was going on, and the further she went along the building, she knew what was happening here, and immediately began to back-track, not knowing what she had stumbled into, realising this was a lot more dangerous than she ever thought.

"April, we gotta get out of here." Rocky met back up with her.

"Did you see what I saw?" AJ asked him, quickly walking away down the sidewalk of the dead street, reaching the car as AJ placed her hands on the hood, leaning over as she felt a little sick, "They're not just getting their drugs from overseas." AJ shook her head as Rocky looked at her, feeling uneasy himself, "They're getting women and children too."

* * *

After driving for hours, Punk had finally hit Chicago. He was lucky enough to have had a smooth journey. At the Mexican border, he thanked his lucky stars that he'd picked up some documents that were in Carter's bag. Punk assumed he had them on him for crossing the border himself, and was lucky he had picked them up. His military certificate and birth certificate was there. He didn't bother showing the driving licence from his wallet since it had Carter's picture on it. Luckily enough, the men at the border didn't make a big deal, and he was on his way after they were satisfied with what documents of Carter's that he illegally used.

He'd finally hit his hometown and it had never felt better. Knowing he was so close to his family was the best feeling in the world. Knowing he could see them again, meet his daughter, hold his girlfriend, hug his friends. It was the best he'd felt in a long time… however… the thought of what he had discovered with Carter turning out to be, not necessarily the bad guys, but not the good guys that they portrayed themselves as either.

As a cop, Punk had heard about these agents, and shady business work that the government done in the dark. He never thought he'd be at the centre of one of their cover-ups. He could only assume they were trying to cover it up because they quite simply didn't know how to handle the situation. There were so many men involved with it, they were probably spooked, and of course the public was a big factor. Sending fifty plus men to prison (if they could catch them all) who had been taking part in human trafficking, sex slavery, drug and ammunition smuggling for more than four years, wasn't a good report, and Punk knew Carter was one of those men who was sent to keep everything on the down low. He regretted ever being so nice to him.

He wondered if AJ had tried to call back on the number he'd called from. He didn't know since the phone died last night. He wondered if Nova even told her someone had called.

He pulled up outside the apartment, taking a deep breath as he took in the moment. He couldn't believe it had been four years. He couldn't wait to just squeeze his girlfriend. He knew it wasn't going to be easy. There was gonna be a lot of questions, and a lot of crying no doubt, and a lot of disbelief, but they'd be together again, all three of them, that was the main thing. Then they'd figure out how to save the world from then on.

Punk stepped out of the rental car that had served him good, locking it over as he looked up at the apartment block. He'd missed his home. He wondered if they were in the apartment just now. He didn't see a light on, but maybe they were in bed, it was late on.

He began walking across the sidewalk, heading for the block door when suddenly he felt someone grab him, a bag going over his head as he felt something injected into his neck, trying to squirm away when everything suddenly went black.

* * *

"Rocky, I can't ignore this." AJ shook her head, standing in her office with Rocky in the station. The station was practically empty and AJ was going out of her mind with what she had just saw, "I'm not ignoring this. I can't." AJ shook her head, "This is… This is way bigger than I thought. This is illegal. These women are being used as sex slaves. Alright, they're probably drugged. They've probably been to all different countries, and now they're here, right on our doorstep." AJ said, "We have to do something right now." AJ said.

"April, there was a lot of guys there." Rocky gulped, "It was like they were running a business." He said with disgust.

"Well that's what these fucks do. They trade women around from different countries. They're not just getting their drugs from overseas, they're smuggling women in too, probably convinced them of a better life here, of a proper job." AJ said, "And then stole their documents and drugged them."

"Yeah, April. I know what human trafficking is." Rocky sighed.

"Then we gotta do something, Rock." AJ shook her head.

"April, this is way bigger than you and me doing this ourselves. We'll die." Rocky said, "Incase you haven't noticed, these men are… well they're the lowest of the low." Rocky said, "We can't take them on our own."

"Then we gotta tell Walter." AJ said, "He'll listen to us. He'll want us to tackle this. We have to." AJ said desperately. As a woman, as a human being who knew her rights and everyone else's rights, she was disgusted by what she had saw, and she was going to stop at nothing to make this right and take these men doing.

"Look, you gotta go pick Nova up and get her home. Get a good sleep. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow and we'll figure this out." Rocky promised as AJ ran her hands through her hair, "I know you can't stand this, I can't either, but we cannot end this on our own, this is a big… this is a big case. It's not even a case. There are a lot of people involved. And we're talking about drug crime, rape, prostitution, sex slavery, you name it… we need to regain composure and think about how we're gonna tackle this in the best way." Rocky said as AJ nodded.

"I've never seen anything like it." AJ said, "I've worked in this station for fifteen years, and I haven't come across something like that before. Just… watching them lie there." AJ shook her head. As a woman and a mother, she felt physically sick, and she wasn't letting this happen. No way.

"I know." Rocky agreed, "This is a bad thing, but it's bigger than us. And we need to find the best way to deal with it." He said as AJ nodded, appreciating his realistic truth.

"Yeah." AJ nodded.

"So, get home, get a good sleep, give Nova a kiss from me, and I'll see you tomorrow first thing, we'll figure this out." He said, giving her a tight embrace, noticing how shook up she looked which was a first as AJ nodded.

* * *

AJ got back to the apartment after picking up Nova from Dan. She was in her pyjamas already and had fallen asleep in the car. For some reason, her normal parking space had been taken up by another car, and it was very rare since where she parked had always been where she parked.

She got out of the car, so much on her mind as she lifted up Nova into her arms, looking over at the other car sitting in her space and shaking her head, walking by it and heading into the apartment block.

"C'mon, baby." AJ whispered, kissing Nova's head softly as she carried her up the stairs and into their apartment, thinking about what terror she had found tonight, and what the hell they were going to do about it. This was a job for the full station, for multiple stations. Something had to be done about it, that's all AJ knew.

* * *

 **A/N: Suspense! Let me know what you think! Loving the reviews, keep them coming.**


	12. Ghost On The Corner

**Ghost On The Corner**

* * *

The next day, AJ had woken up after barely any sleep. There was so much going on in her head after last night and what she had saw at the building site. She tossed and turned, thinking about solutions and how to go about with something so serious and big. Her and Rocky certainly couldn't handle this on their own, and there were other bits and pieces she still had to figure out, like who was calling her and who left the snake outside her door.

It was a mad rush to get ready in the morning as usual, and when her and Nova left the apartment block, she noticed the car that had taken her space last night, was still sitting.

"Ok, go on into the car." AJ said, "Here's your bag." She gave Nova her bag as the five-year-old ran off to their car, opening up the back door as she jumped in whilst AJ walked over to the other car, looking around discreetly. It had really flat tires, and all she could see in the passenger's seat was a backpack. There was nothing about it that didn't feel right, and she had a bad feeling about it.

"Mommy!" Nova called from the car, sitting on her car seat waiting to be strapped in as AJ shook her head and walked over to her own car, "We're going to be late." Nova told her mother stressfully as AJ nodded.

"Sorry, baby." AJ shook her head, strapping her into the seat and getting into the driver's seat in front, keeping her eyes on the car in front and shaking her head. Her curiosity always got the best of her, and this car had her extremely curious.

* * *

Punk woke up sitting on the ground, his hands tied behind his back as he looked around at the basement he appeared to be in, beginning to move around frantically as he turned and spotted Carter sitting on a seat across from him.

"You bastard." Punk spat, "I know everything." He said, "I know what you're doing." He spat as Carter sighed.

"Phil, I didn't want it to come to this." Carter shook his head.

"You've wasted four years of my life!" Punk yelled, "Four years I'm never gonna get back." He spat, "And all along you were just… you were doing everything you could to make sure this case, these men, whoever they are, didn't get caught out." Punk shook his head, "I didn't like you, but I respected you, and now… now you're just as bad as they are." Punk spat as Carter stood up.

"I was assigned to do my job, and that's what I done. You just got in the way, and you had to be banished. I saw my chance and I took it." Carter said, "If you go back to your girlfriend, and your daughter, and your old life, you'll just be a target again. They want you dead. They think you contributed to killing Tony. Which technically you did-"

"He killed himself." Punk spat, "I didn't do anything."

"Well, they think otherwise." Carter said, "So… you go back to your old life, you're gonna end up dead… for real this time." Carter said, "Despite what you think of us now, we've still been protecting you all this time."

"You've been doing absolutely nothing to help me." Punk spat, "I trusted you."

"You can still trust us, Phil. Keeping this hidden is what's best for business."

"Oh, fuck off." Punk spat, "You're telling me, a cop, that covering up a crime is best for business?" Punk asked as Carter nodded.

"It is. There are a lot of people involved in this. Some of them are just… normal guys too, with kids." Carter said, "Unravelling all of it is going to be a mess, and… and your girlfriend is so close that we have to start… sending signals to her. Walter took her off the case and she's still looking around."

"You touch her I will kill you." Punk said, "It is her job, don't you understand that? You can't cover-up something like this."

"You'd be surprised." Carter said, "I have a career made out of covering-up the deadliest of crime." Carter said.

"And you're proud of that?" Punk said, "That makes you feel good?"

"No, but at the end of the day, it's just my job." Carter said.

"And how many people have died or gotten hurt because of you hiding this?" Punk asked, "This group is trading women and kids into the country." Punk said with disgust, "You don't find that wrong?"

"Of course I do. But it's best we stay out of it."

"You're insane." Punk shook his head, "You're all fucking insane to… to be fine with just ignoring something like that." Punk said.

"It's so much bigger than you and I." Carter said.

"Then we come up with a plan. We figure something out. We don't just… ignore it, and dispose all evidence that it's there." Punk said, "You work for the law yet you're completely bypassing it." Punk said.

"We know what's best." Carter said.

"Where am I?" Punk asked angrily.

"You're still in Chicago." Carter nodded, "I gotta give it to you, I didn't think you'd get as far as you did. How'd you get past the border?"

"I took a few of your documents. And… the border patrol agents see a white, all-American guy trying to get through, they don't bother so much." Punk shook his head.

"And then you just drove here?" Carter asked as Punk nodded, "What does… take a left mean?" He said as Punk looked up at him, "We listened to the calls you made."

"None of your business." Punk shook his head, "Where am I? In like a basement or something?" He asked, looking around as Carter nodded.

"It's our building here in Chicago." Carter said, "Look, I know you think we're shady government agents-"

"I don't think. I know." Punk said.

"Well… whatever, it's still my job to keep you away, so that's what is gonna happen. And then we're gonna need to sort out this problem with your girl sticking her nose where it doesn't belong." He said, "She doesn't scare easy, does she? We sent her a little package and… she's still moving forward."

"What do you mean?" Punk asked.

"It doesn't matter, the main problem is, she's gotta let it go, I was wondering if you could tell us how we can achieve that?"

"Burn in hell." Punk spat, "She'll figure all of this out, and you'll all go to prison."

"Ok, she's smart. But she's not that smart." Carter said, walking over to him as Punk stood up, sliding his hands up from around the pole whilst he stood up, "She loves her daughter, doesn't she?" Carter smiled as Punk's eyes widened, his nostrils flaring wide as he shook his head.

"Don't go there with me." Punk said, "You touch my daughter and I promise you I will find you and I will hurt you like you've never been hurt before." He said. He wasn't going to let anyone threaten his family. Especially not this man who had already done enough. He knew he had to get out of wherever he was, and he had to think on his feet fast.

"I won't hurt her, Phil." Carter said, "But I might have to use her as bate." Carter nodded.

"And I thought you said you weren't the bad guys?" Punk spat.

"We're not. I just need your girlfriend to realise that this is a no go." Carter said, "And if I have to use your daughter as bate to do so, then I'm gonna do it." Carter nodded as Punk was beginning to breath heavily. He refused to have anyone threaten his family. Threaten his innocent daughter.

He looked at Carter, sizing him up as he saw the keys to the handcuffs around his back in his pocket. He then kicked Carter over the head quickly as hard as he could. He still hadn't lost his touch even though he'd been off the field for four years.

Carter went down like a sack of potatoes, and Punk bent down, turning around and using his constricted his hands to grab the keys, trying all of them on his cuffs until finally he found the right one.

He massaged his wrists whilst bending down to Carter's unconscious body, feeling in his suit jacket and grabbing his gun which was obviously his new one since Punk had his old one in the rental car.

"This is all going to backfire." Punk tapped Carter's face. He really wanted to punch him, but he was more focused on getting to his family now more than ever, things were getting too hot, and clearly April was in deep with everything. He just wanted to grab her and look her in the eye, let her know he was here, he'd always been here.

Punk took the gun and ran up the basement stairs, figuring he might have had to fight his way out of wherever the hell he was, but luckily, he ran straight down the hall to the fire exit that he saw, and sprinted out of the building. Punk 2, asshole agents 0.

* * *

"Ok, what's the big deal?" Rocky asked, standing with AJ outside her apartment block where the rental car was still sitting, "It's just a car?" He turned to AJ.

"No, but… this street… everyone has their spaces, and I just… I have a bad feeling about this car, or… just a feeling I guess that something isn't right." AJ said, "Permission to break into it and look in that backpack?" AJ turned to Rocky.

"I think you're being paranoid." Rocky told her straight, "Maybe it's someone visiting someone. Don't we have other things to focus on?" He asked her as AJ nodded.

"We do. We do." AJ nodded, "But… I have a feeling about this car. I always go with my feelings." AJ said as Rocky just nodded.

"Alright." Rocky nodded, walking to the passenger's side of the car, smashing his elbow through the windscreen and grabbing out the backpack, walking around to AJ and handing it to her as AJ sat it on the ground and crouched down, beginning to look through it.

"Ok, we got a dead phone." AJ began to take things out one by one, "A gun." AJ raised her eyebrows, "A jumper." She took out the clothing, pausing as she lowered her face to it as Rocky watched wearily, watching as she inhaled the jumper.

"Uh… AJ?" Rocky shook his head as AJ opened her eyes back up, realising she was smelling the jumper and shaking her head. The scent was familiar. Fresh.

"Oh, here we go." AJ said, taking out some documents, "Carter Adams." AJ read, standing up straight as she looked through the documents that weren't all that interesting after all, "Ok, let's run his name when we get back to the station and see what comes up." AJ looked up at Rocky who seemed to be looking past her. He looked like he was ready to throw up. His eyes were almost popping out of his head, and when she turned around to see what he was looking at, she wanted to scream.

"I-I had to return that car." Punk pointed as AJ dropped the papers out of her hand, backing away into Rocky, not quite believing what she was seeing, looking across at him as he stood, looking just as bewildered.

Her heart had never raced this fast before. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs hadn't she been in a street, she would have done. Rocky didn't even know what was going on. He wanted to say something but his mouth wouldn't let him. Both of them just stood staring at him like he was a ghost. Which made sense for him to be. He was dead. He was dead?

"W-What…" AJ pointed at him, having gone a funny green colour, trying to control herself but not being able to. This man was dead. She watched blood pour from his mouth and his chest. She stood in a hospital as a doctor told her he hadn't made it. She'd buried him. He wasn't real. He couldn't have been. She kept double blinking to make sure he wasn't just a hallucination of what she wanted to see.

"It's ok." Punk put his hands up, trembling himself. He'd waited for what felt like forever for this moment, "It's ok. I'm-I'm gonna explain everything." Punk assured her as she shook her head. For the first time ever, she felt crazy.

"You-You're not real." AJ shook her head, blinking a tear away. She knew it was just her mind playing tricks on her. This wasn't happening. He wasn't still alive after all this time. After all the pain and suffering.

"I'm real." Punk nodded, walking closer to her slowly, realising she was a lot more vulnerable than he'd thought, watching as she looked at him closely, as if she was staring into his soul, to see if it was really him.

Rocky stood behind AJ, just shaking his head and watching his former friend in the flesh. He couldn't believe it. It was impossible.

"Here. Take my hand." Punk extended his hand out as AJ looked at it, "I'm here." He nodded as she looked in his eyes, her lip quivering as she extended her hand out, taking a hold of his softly as she felt that warmth fill up in her life again, looking from her hand to his face as he nodded with a smile.

She'd never been so shocked in her entire life. The thought of him still being alive never once ever crossed her mind, and this was just insane. He was really real. She felt his hand squeeze hers. He was here.

"You-You're here?" AJ whispered as Punk nodded. Nothing made sense right now but… she didn't care if anything never made sense ever again, because he was here, and she never once thought she'd have him in her life again, and for him to just walk around the corner like this, it almost felt like she was really in a dream.

"I know you're confused." Punk said as AJ looked up at him, feeling drunk on his voice. His voice she hadn't heard in so long, "I know this doesn't make sense." Punk said, looking up at Rocky too, "But I'm gonna explain everything and it will make sense." He told them as AJ just looked up at him with glassy eyes, almost feeling light headed as she looked up at him, "I'm here." He squeezed her hand as she let out a loud cry, realising it really was him as she stumbled into his body, crying at the feeling of him again. She never thought she'd get to be in his arms again, and she couldn't help but sob at the feeling whilst Punk hugged her like he'd longed to do so for four years, blinking a tear away himself whilst Rocky leaned against the car, feeling a little lightheaded himself.

Things had just taken a massive turn.

* * *

 **A/N: Now they're gonna save the world! LOL. Just kidding. It's not gonna be smooth sailing at all, a lot still to come. REVIEW and let me know what you think!**


	13. Bate

**Bate**

* * *

Punk encouraged them eventually to get off the street and go up to the apartment. AJ was just so frightened to let go of him incase he'd disappear. She couldn't believe any of this was actually happening. Had he really just walked around the corner and back into her life? Just like that?

"I need a second." AJ shook her head, holding onto the railing going up the stairs in the apartment block, pausing to take a deep breath as Punk stood beside her. She felt sick. Not from fear but from just complete disbelief and shock, and maybe a little bit of fear because she had no idea how any of this was happening, and that scared her. She didn't feel in control of anything, and that was the scariest thing to her.

"It's ok." Punk placed a hand on her shoulder.

Punk was just as mesmerised to be back. He couldn't believe he was finally beside his girlfriend again. His best friend. His everything. She finally didn't have to believe he was dead. She didn't have to be frightened or be in pain anymore.

"I can't believe this." AJ muttered to herself, holding onto the railing. Anyone passing would have thought she was going to give birth with how she was trying to calm herself down and take deep breaths.

"I will… explain everything." Punk said, turning to Rocky who was just as shocked as AJ. He couldn't stop staring at Punk. A part of him also wanted to touch him, to make sure he was real. To have someone they all cared about die, so realistically for four years, and have them just walk around a corner so easily… there was something terrifying about that, and Rocky knew that Punk's explanation wasn't going to be good.

"Ok." AJ nodded to herself, beginning to climb the stairs again as Punk followed, reaching the apartment as AJ unlocked the door and walked on in as Punk took a deep breath. He'd almost forgot what home felt like. He hadn't had one for so long. He'd missed his home. It was their place where they could cuddle on the sofa, or lay in bed and watch movies, or where he was tortured by AJ's cooking in the kitchen. It was a place with memories… but also memories that he hadn't been apart of.

He walked into the apartment, keeping an eye on AJ who he had a fear of fainting with how dizzy she looked and pale. But he then turned his attention to the furry monster that had bounded towards him and jumped up at him.

Ace knew him fine well. He was whining frantically and jumping around beside Punk who crouched down, hugging the dog tightly and clapping him.

"Hi, boy." Punk laughed, "Hey." Punk scratched under his ears as Ace circled him, crying and whining as his tail went crazy back and forth, "Oh my God, I missed you too." Punk nodded, continuing to scratch the dog and pat him whilst AJ watched.

She couldn't believe it. Even now that she'd hugged him, held his hand, been close to him, she still didn't believe he was really here. It was like one of her dreams. A longing dream she only ever wished of coming true.

Punk looked up, noticing Rocky and AJ staring at him, still in shock. Although it was an amazing feeling, there was still that cloud over all of their heads. He knew AJ wanted answers, and he knew… she might not like them.

"Ok." Punk got back up to his feet.

"I can… I can leave." Rocky said as Punk turned to him.

"You should stay." Punk said, "C'mon. Let's… Let's take a seat." He said, turning to AJ who was just staring at him. It looked like she wanted to inspect him, as if she still didn't believe it was really him. He knew she was just in shock. Even though he hadn't seen her in all of these years, he always knew she was alive, on the other hand, she had to go four years thinking he was dead, and he couldn't imagine how that felt.

AJ and Rocky walked over to the couch whilst Punk followed, taking a seat with them whilst Ace continued to follow Punk.

"I don't even… I don't even know what to say." AJ admitted truthfully, "H-How?" She gasped.

"It's… It's a long story." Punk nodded, "But it's connected to what you guys are looking into right now. The drugs, the human trafficking." He said as AJ shook her head, "They were the guys who shot me. They wanted me to dead because Tony worked with them and they thought I… killed him." Punk shrugged.

"I knew it." AJ shook her head. She always felt like Punk had something to do with this, she never thought in her wildest dreams that he would be alive, but she thought his death had something to do with these men.

"When I was shot, I was airlifted to Mexico." Punk said, "Walter made an agreement with these agents who… at the time, were convincing him that I needed put into protection, and no one was allowed to know I was there." He said.

"Walter knew all this time?" Rocky shook his head whilst AJ ran her hands over his face.

"He was probably threatened because… the people who took me in, these agents, they're… they're not good people. I thought they were, but they're not." Punk said, "They're doing everything in their power to make sure no one uncovers the truth about these men and what they're doing." Punk said, "They cover-up crime for a living and… I was in the way, so they had to get rid of me." Punk nodded.

"Why do they want to cover-up all of this? It's wrong." AJ shook her head, "And why did you have to get sent away because of it?" AJ asked.

"Well at the time I thought they were keeping me in protection until they found these men. I was told that they wanted me to dead, and if I went back I was putting you and Nova in danger." Punk turned to AJ specifically, "So I stayed put. I done what I was told. I cooperated, and then… things just began to get too much and I… I escaped the house I was in."

"Wait…" Rocky put his hand up, "Did you run here from Mexico?" He shook his head as Punk smiled a little.

"No, I drove. That was the rental car I used outside." Punk said as AJ placed her hand on her forehead, trying to take it all in, "Look, I know this is a lot to process, I'm still trying to come to terms with it all, but we're… we're slap bang in the middle of this now." He told them.

"So you know everything we know?" Rocky asked him.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "And more."

"How are you even here?" AJ shook her head, standing up and walking away in disbelief as AJ watched her, "You… you're here?" AJ shook her head, "You just… walk around the corner and you're here?" AJ said as Punk stood up.

"I would have came sooner but… I thought I was with the good guys. I thought they were keeping me safe, and you safe, and they were getting things sorted, but… now I know they were doing the opposite, we gotta figure this out on our own, and we gotta do it carefully because these agents don't mess around." Punk said.

"How have we never heard of them?" Rocky asked.

"They're like the secret service only a… worse version of it. And you know we take nothing to do with that." Punk said.

"I watched blood run out of your mouth." AJ said, still in a world of her own. Rocky seemed to be coming around to things, it was beginning to make sense, but AJ couldn't handle it, she couldn't believe he was here.

"I know." Punk nodded, "I probably shouldn't be alive. I couldn't breathe on my own for two months. I was in my bed for the first year. I couldn't move." Punk said, "I had no idea where I was or who I even was." He said as AJ looked across at him, "And the only reason I stayed in that house, was because I thought it was benefiting all of us. I thought it was keeping us safe." He said, "But they just wanted me out of the way."

"So are these people after you now?" AJ shook her head as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, they're not my best friends right now." Punk admitted.

"Dean and Seth are gonna freak." Rocky shook his head, "I can't believe it." He looked at Punk who nodded.

"I don't think it's a good idea that we go around telling everyone I'm alive. I can work better as a ghost." He admitted as AJ paused, recalling something Nova said to her the other morning.

" _There was no one there." Nova said with frustration, "It must have been a ghosty." She wiggled her fingers at her mother who couldn't help smile._

"It was you." AJ whispered, looking over at Punk, "You-You called here… and you called the station." AJ said as Punk nodded, "Did you send me a snake too?" She shook her head.

"What?" Punk shook his head.

"Someone left a snake in a box outside the apartment the other night." AJ said.

"Ok, I was trying to get in contact with you, but… not by using snakes." Punk told her truthfully as she smiled as he sighed with relaxation. There it was. The reason all of this war was worth it. That smile. His beautiful girlfriend.

"Then who sent the snake?" Rocky stood up.

"It'll be Carter." Punk gritted his teeth.

"Carter Adams?" AJ said.

"You know him?" Punk asked.

"I looked through your backpack." AJ said, "Who is he?"

"He's like the boss in charge. He'll do anything to keep all of this covered up. It was him who convinced Walter to take me, and he never wanted you looking into the case. He even told me he'd fire you."

"Who are these men?" AJ spat, "They're even worse than the pigs who are smuggling drugs and women into the country."

"That's what I said." Punk nodded, "That's why I don't think it's a good idea that we tell everyone that I'm alive. I'm the equivalent to a wanted man right now."

"People need to know about this, Phil." AJ said, "This is… This is bigger than I ever thought it was."

"Yeah, I don't think any of us expected this." Punk shook his head, "I just… don't want you to be scared." Punk looked across at her.

"I'm not now." She whispered as he smiled softly. She was beginning to come around to him more, his voice, his actions, watching him as he spoke, she still felt completely stunned by everything, but what he was saying did make sense, even though it was so much to take in.

"Look, I'm gonna go." Rocky said as he watched AJ and Punk swoon at each other, "My lips are sealed right now but we gotta… we gotta figure this out sooner rather than later." He looked to Punk, "It's… It's so good to see you. Words can't describe it." He said, walking over to Punk who pulled him in for a brotherly hug.

"It's good to see you too, buddy." Punk nodded, tightly embracing his friend as they eventually pulled apart, "We'll figure this out. We'll find a way to end this circuit with this gang, as well as exposing these… agents." Punk said as Rocky nodded.

"Call me." Rocky nodded to them both, "I'll be at the station. Thinking." He said, walking off and out of the apartment, glad to be getting some fresh air after all of this new information.

"I really can't believe this." AJ whispered as Punk walked over to her, "You're really here." She nodded, running her hands down his chest as he nodded.

"I'm sorry you've had to go through this." Punk said.

"What about you?" AJ gasped, "You were taken from us. You were lied to. And now… all of this is going on and we're in the middle of it."

"We've never backed away from anything in our lives." He reminded her.

"You've not even…" AJ shook her head and looked down, "Nova." She said as Punk nodded.

"You and her are my main priority, and we're gonna have all the time in the world to fix what's been broken." Punk nodded to her, cupping her cheeks as AJ sighed softly and shut her eyes. Feeling his touch again was indescribable. She couldn't believe after all this time he was here. He was her everything. The only person she trusted in this entire world, and he'd came back to her like a dream come true.

"I thought I'd never see you again." She opened her eyes back up, looking up at him, placing her hands on his arms, "I can't believe any of this is happening." She said as he continued to cup her cheeks.

"I'm here now, ok? We'll fight this together, just like we've always done." He nodded. Part of him couldn't believe he was really standing in his apartment with his hands on her cheeks. A part of him forgot about everything going on as he leaned down, pressing his lips against hers softly. He'd missed kissing her and having her close to him, and kissing her again really did feel like a dream.

AJ wrapped her arms around his neck, forgetting about every bad thing going on around them and losing herself in him just like she remembered doing all those years ago. She knew he was really here now. She felt him. His lips were so soft and comforting just like she remembered, and she wanted this moment to go on forever and ever, never wanting to let him go.

They embraced one another for a while, kissing and hugging until AJ's cell phone began ringing from her pocket. She pulled away from him, taking her phone out.

"It's your dad." AJ looked up at him as he nodded to her to answer it, "Hey, what's up?" AJ said, listening to Dan on the phone whilst Punk looked around the apartment, "What do you mean she's not there?!" AJ screeched loudly as Punk quickly turned to her, "Well did you go to the office?" AJ asked, listening to Dan on the phone as she placed he hand on her forehead, "Oh my God." AJ shook her head, "Ok, just… just stay at the school, I'll be there as quick as I can." AJ hung up, turning to Punk who already knew something was wrong, "Nova isn't there. Your dad was there to pick her up and she wasn't there." AJ shook her head, "She wouldn't ever go willingly with someone." AJ shook her head frantically as they already began to leave the apartment.

"Does she have friends she'd go with?" Punk wondered, running down the stairs with her and out onto the street.

"No. No she'd never leave with someone else. I know her." AJ said as Punk nodded, taking a deep breath and trying not to lose his shit, suddenly remembering the threat Carter had made when he was held.

"He's got her." Punk nodded.

"Who?" AJ turned to him, rushing to her car and grabbing her gun out whilst Punk grabbed the one from the backpack he had travelled with, as well as still having the other one he'd taken from Carter earlier on.

"Carter." Punk said, "He won't hurt her." Punk nodded, just in attempt to calm AJ down.

"You better pray he doesn't because I will put every bullet I have left through him." AJ hissed.

"And then I'll put all of mine through him too." Punk assured her, "Let's go." He said, getting into the car with her.

They'd never had a weakness, that's why they were always so good at their jobs, but then came along an innocent little flower, and she was their weakness. They were angry and scared and both trying to stay calm.

Suddenly nothing felt like it had changed, but deep down, so much had changed, so much they weren't even willing to admit. But right now, their girl was in danger, and they were not going to let anything happen to her. They'd both die before that happened, and not the fake kind of death.

"Call Rocky, have him on the look-out and have him go to the school. We'll go to my dad first." Punk nodded, "Let's hope his heart stays in his chest." He said as he sped off, practically skidding round corners on two wheels. He knew Carter wouldn't hurt Nova, but he was going to pay for even laying a hand on her, and taking her away like this, and using her as bate to get to him.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	14. The A-Team

**The A-Team**

* * *

Punk and AJ pulled up at the school, spotting Dan standing at the corner. Punk knew his father was going to get a fright when he stepped out. Everyone would. But right now, the only thing that was on his mind was finding his daughter. AJ had called Rocky to let him know what was going on, and he was helping with whatever he could.

They got out of the car, Punk taking a deep breath as his father turned to see who was with AJ, double blinking a few times as he got further and further, shaking his head with confusion.

"What… What the hell." Dan shook his head.

"Look, I'll explain everything later." Punk nodded to him, placing his hand on his father's shoulder, "I promise." He said as Dan shook his head.

"You're alive?" Dan blurted as Punk nodded.

"We need to find Nova." AJ said as Dan snapped out of it, not believing that his son was really here after all this time, regaining composure.

"Uh… ok." Dan nodded, "I came here at my usual time and she was already gone. I spoke with her teacher and she said an older man picked her up and said he was her uncle." Dan shrugged.

"Nova knows not to go anywhere with strangers." AJ shook her head frantically.

"It's ok." Punk assured her, "We're gonna find her. She's just being used as bate so that they can get to me."

"They? Who are they?" Dan shook his head, "Phil, how are you even here?" He said.

"It's a long story that I don't have time to go over right now." Punk said, "I need you to go back home and wait. When we get Nova, we'll bring her to you. She'll be safe there." Punk nodded, turning to AJ who nodded.

"Safe from who?" Dan asked, "What is going on?" He said as AJ's cell phone began to ring. She picked it up and looked at the caller ID which was an unknown number.

"Do you think it's him?" AJ turned to Punk who nodded, taking the phone from her and answering it.

"April, this is Carter Adams-"

"It's Phil. Cut the crap." Punk spat, "You so much as misplace a hair out of her head I will not hesitate to kill you." Punk promised, "She's got nothing to do with any of this. She's a child. If you wanted me, you should have come for me. Not my kid." Punk said, "You're pushing too fucking far now."

"Nova is just having some milk and cookies right now." Carter said, "I thought as a daughter of two cops, she'd put up a little bit of a fight at least. But she was quite willing. Willingness isn't good when they turn eighteen, Philip." Carter said.

"She's five-years-old you sick fuck." Punk spat, "Where are you? I'll come, you hand over the girl to April, and you can have me." Punk said as AJ looked up at him with fear.

"It's hard to trust anything you say, Phil." Carter said.

"Trust me." Punk said, "If it means my daughter goes home safe tonight, you can do whatever the hell you want to me." He said.

"Ok, but just so you know, I'm not here alone this time. You try anything like the last time, you won't get out." Carter said.

"Where are you?" Punk asked.

"The same building I had you in no more than an hour ago, when you kicked me over the head." Carter spat as Punk nodded, hanging up and handing AJ her cell back. He had an address, he didn't need to talk to him anymore.

"What is it? Is she with him? Is she ok?" AJ clung to him desperately.

"She's ok. She's with him but he's not gonna hurt her." Punk promised as Dan stood shaking his head with confusion. There was so much going on that he couldn't process, "Dad, I need you to go home, we're gonna bring Nova to you."

"We?" AJ said, "You just said you were gonna trade yourself for Nova." AJ shook her head.

"I lied. We're fighting our way out of there." Punk nodded to her as AJ took a deep breath.

"Phil, shouldn't you contact someone else." Dan said.

"No, just go home and wait, that's all I need you to do. It's… It's so good to see you, but I promise I'll explain everything later." Punk nodded to him, "We have to go now." He said as he and AJ both got back in the car whilst Dan got in his, calming himself down before driving home, being of whatever assistance he could at this confusing, terrifying time.

* * *

"So are these people cops? Are they trained like cops? Or are they just suits behind desks?" AJ questioned as Punk sped along the road.

"They're trained like cops. When I was getting back on my feet, I trained with one of them as part of my physio. They're good." Punk nodded, "Be careful." He told her.

"You be careful." AJ told him.

"We're gonna go in a different way than I came out." Punk explained, "When I was here, I looked around the basement, there was a door that must be round the back and down the stairs. If we go that way, we'll get Nova first and we'll have a quicker escape." He nodded.

"What if he has hurt her?" AJ gulped.

"Then he'll die." Punk said calmly, "We be as quiet as we can be until we're noticed." Punk explained, eventually pulling up to the building as they both got out and headed around the side of the building, "Ok, here." Punk looked on at the stairs down to the basement door.

They walked down them and Punk tugged on the door handle, opening it up as AJ shook her head.

"This is too easy, Phil." She noticed, keeping her wits about her as she looked around at all times, expecting someone to just come grab them. Things were going to smoothly.

"Just stay close." Punk told her, walking into the basement, staying low and quiet whilst AJ followed behind. They wound up behind a shelf, but through the gaps they both spotted Nova sitting at a table, and Justine was standing by the basement door watching over her.

AJ continued to move round quietly whilst Punk just stopped, staring through the gap at Nova with a smile. She was gorgeous and she looked just like AJ. She was thin-boned, dark skinned with thick dark hair and those big brown eyes. He knew now wasn't the time to freeze, but this was the first time he'd saw his daughter in four years. She wasn't that little baby he remembered. Even though she wasn't old by any means, she was still older, and Punk hadn't saw that process of her getting to the age she was now, but seeing her right now was enough.

AJ nudged him as he snapped out of it, nodding as he began to move round the shelf, both of them crouched down at the edge, visible for only Nova to see.

AJ watched as Nova turned around, spotting her and Punk crouched down beside the shelf. Both AJ and Punk immediately put their finger to their lips before she said anything. AJ put her hand out in signal for her to stay where she was, and Nova nodded.

Punk smiled. She looked so calm in what should have been a terrifying experience for a little girl her age, but clearly, she had her mother's composure. In a way, Punk just wanted to sit and look at her all day, but they weren't really in a position to do that.

Punk pointed to AJ to go back around the corner to get closer to Justine, then pointed to himself and Nova. She understood his code and what he was telling her, so she headed around, staying behind the shelves at the back whilst Punk watched Nova who kept looking back and forth to him, swinging her legs back and forth as she sat on the chair.

Punk watched as AJ jumped out on Justine, taking her down immediately and taking her gun so she couldn't do any bad damage, all the while Punk ran out and grabbed Nova from her chair.

"Stay quiet, stay quiet." Punk told Nova, rushing back behind the shelf whilst AJ ran back to them.

"Phil, this is too easy." AJ almost cried, having longed to see her daughter in his arms, but not under these circumstances.

"Just keep moving forward." Punk told her as they pushed out the back door they came in. Nova clung to Punk around his neck. She didn't know him or recognise him, but she already trusted him.

The quickly ran up the stairs they came down, pausing as they saw the line of agents formed in front of them, having been waiting for them to come out as AJ shook her head, she knew this wasn't going smooth.

"Going somewhere?" Carter asked him as Punk gulped, "I told you I wouldn't hurt her. We're not child beaters." He said, "We're just trying to do our job, Phil." Carter shrugged.

"Your illegal job." AJ spat as Carter turned to her.

"April." Carter smiled, "So nice to finally see you in person." He nodded.

"In person?" AJ shook her head.

"Well, let's just say we've had eyes on you for around… four years." Carter nodded, "Of course just to make sure you were safe."

"No, you mean to make sure I wasn't looking into any cases you didn't want me to look at." AJ said.

"Look, you two need to understand that this is way bigger than the both of you. It's way bigger than your station." Carter said, "So this is what's gonna happen. April you're gonna take Nova from Phil, and you're gonna be escorted back to your car. Phil you're gonna come back with us."

"Why?" Punk said, "Why do you need me back in that house? What are you keeping me from?" Punk spat.

"We're keeping you from dying, believe it or not." Carter said.

"Oh, do me a favour." Punk groaned.

"Just do it." Carter said, "It's not a discussion anymore." He said.

"Why can't my family come with me?" Punk asked.

"Because you are dead, Phil. If people find out you're alive, then our mission is already over."

"Your mission?" AJ shook her head, "Who do you guys think you are?" She spat.

"So if people realise I'm alive. You guys scatter like roaches?" Punk raised his eyebrows as Carter looked across at him.

"We'd work our way out of it, but that doesn't matter, because you're coming with us. Whether you're willing to or not." He said as Punk looked across at him, still holding onto Nova whilst AJ stood behind him.

Neither Punk or AJ knew what to do. There were a lot of agents here. They couldn't find them all on their own, and they had nowhere to run either. They were trapped… until…

"Mind if we join the party?" Dean asked, walking around the corner with Seth, Rocky and Eve as Punk took a sigh with relief, turning to AJ who smiled whilst the agents turned around.

"We're gonna assume, our invite got lost." Seth nodded.

"You lot are playing a losing game here." Carter laughed to himself.

"The only one who is losing, is you." Dean said, "First of all, April and Nova go to the car, and you'll all move out the way for them." He said as he, Seth, Rocky and Eve took out their guns, "Or someone is gonna die."

Punk passed Nova over to AJ. He didn't want to, but he wanted them out of the way and safe. He wanted to hold onto Nova for longer, but he knew the chance would come, and when he saw AJ carry her away, the five-year-old smiled back at him.

"Ok." Dean nodded after AJ had left with Nova. She wouldn't have left Punk alone, but knowing their friends were there put her at ease, "And now you can go down fighting, or you can let Phil go too. It's your choice." Dean said.

Meanwhile AJ strapped Nova into the back seat, "Baby, are you ok?" AJ asked desperately, cupping Nova's cheeks and kissing her head repeatedly.

"What's going on?" Nova asked in a frail voice.

"It's ok now, sweetie." AJ promised, "That… That man who helped me find you… he… he's your daddy." AJ nodded, not waiting a second longer to let her know. Perhaps it was a lot for Nova to take in.

"Why?" Nova questioned childishly.

"He-He had to go away but now he came back." AJ nodded, brushing her daughter's hair from her face, "He loves you so much and he's so excited to meet you." She said as Nova gasped with a smile.

"He saved me like a prince." Nova giggled as AJ smiled raising her eyebrows. She didn't expect quite the response. Nova was a rather laid back, unbothered, untouched kid, and she normally didn't take well to strangers either.

"He did." AJ smiled, "And you're gonna have lots of time to talk to him, but right now, we're gonna take you to Grandpa Dan's." AJ nodded.

"Oh, but I wanna speaks to him now." Nova huffed.

"I know you do." AJ smiled, "But you just got to be a little bit patient for me, ok?" She said as Nova nodded, "Good girl." AJ said, kissing her head again and leaning back out of the car, shutting the door over as she watched as Punk and their friends ran around the corner.

"We gotta go. We gotta go." Punk nodded to her, a cut on the side of his head beginning to bleed as AJ assumed they had to fight their way out.

"Meet us back at the apartment." AJ nodded to them all. They all still looked shocked, but they'd do anything for their friend, and when Rocky quickly told them what was going on, they didn't believe him but they came along anyway, and were proved wrong. Their friend really was alive, and they all had so many questions, but right now, they had to get the hell out of where they were.

They all got in their cars and drove off, Punk getting into the car with AJ whilst he glanced at Nova in the rear-view mirror, watching her look out the window. He couldn't believe she was really this close to him. Words couldn't describe what it felt like to see her, but even if she knew he was her dad, it was still going to be a long process to gain her trust and make up for all the times he'd lost.

Right now however, they just had to get out of where they were and quickly figure out how they were going to end all of this once and for all.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! Thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming.**


	15. Home

**Home**

* * *

Once AJ dropped Nova in at Dan's, her and Punk headed to the apartment where the rest of the guys were. AJ had to keep reminding herself that her boyfriend was here. He was really here. That man she'd known for over thirteen years was here again. Her daughter had a father now. A part of her was still in complete shock, and she didn't know if this shock would ever leave her. Having got used to the idea of him being gone, and never coming back was so hard, and now he was here again.

"Do you think she'll be ok?" Punk asked, referring to Nova as they pulled up outside the apartment block.

"I don't think she really knows what's going on." AJ admitted, "I told her who you were, she seems… keen to talk to you." AJ smiled as Punk nodded and took a deep breath. He feared that his daughter wouldn't want to see him or talk to him, that she would be weary of a stranger in her life. She was obviously so used to it being just her and AJ.

"I don't want her to be scared of me." Punk turned to her as AJ shook her head.

"She won't be scared of you." AJ shook her head, "She'll need some time, both of you will. I just wish we didn't have to deal with all of this… shit." AJ shook her head angrily as he nodded.

"It'll be over soon." Punk nodded, "C'mon." He tapped her hand as she held onto it.

"Wait." AJ said, taking her seat belt off and leaning over, pressing her lips against his. She just had to keep reminding herself that he was really here, and this was the best way. It was like a dream blended in with a nightmare they were going through. But for the first time in four years, AJ could harp on the fact that they had each other. She never thought she'd be able to say that again. She thought she'd lost her soul mate forever, but he was here.

Punk deepened the kiss, running his hands through her hair, only wishing they could shut the world off for a few hours and reconnect properly, but they couldn't.

"We should… We should go." Punk pulled away as she pressed her forehead against his breathlessly and nodded.

"I love you." AJ told him, having been desperate to say it since she realised he was really back.

"I love you too." Punk cupped her cheeks, "So much." He nodded, "And we're gonna fix this, and we're gonna get our life back." He told her as she nodded tearfully, eventually getting out of the car and heading into the apartment block.

They got up to the apartment where everyone was waiting, all of them staring at Punk miraculously as he came into sight. They walked into the apartment once AJ unlocked the door and they headed over to the couch immediately.

"Alright… you… you gotta talk to us now." Dean pointed at him, "What the fuck is going on?" He asked, "You don't die for four years and then just show up out of the blue." He said.

"Ok, ok." Punk put his hand up, "Calm down." He nodded, "I will explain everything, and then we'll figure this out together." He said as they nodded.

Punk proceeded to explain to his friends everything that was going on including why his death was faked, where he'd been, who Carter was, who the gang from the cigar club were, and most importantly, how they had to end all of it, sooner rather than later.

They all had questions of course and bombarded Punk with them which he was happy to answer. He knew this was a shock for them, just like it was for AJ and Rocky when they first saw him. They all really thought he was dead. They had no reason to believe he wasn't. It wasn't everyday people came back from the dead like this, and it was shocking for all of them.

"So how the hell do we get these guys?" Seth asked, "We certainly can't do it alone." He said as Punk nodded, putting his hands on his hips.

"Well just there, Carter said that if people knew I was alive, their roles would become threatened, and it makes sense I guess." Punk said, "So if I talk to chief, and we get the DHS involved, we notify them about the gang and what's going on and we give them as much information as possible." Punk said.

"And what will happen to Carter?" AJ asked.

"Either they'll all scatter like roaches, and they'll know where we stand, or they'll get caught out. Either way, they're off our backs and we can focus on ending this gang and their circuit of drug smuggling and human trafficking."

"Well me and Rocky know where they're situated." AJ said as Rocky nodded, "Billy Stone is our main guy. He owns the cigar club and he seems to be taking charge of the money. Looks like the boss." AJ shrugged, "He also has a daughter in Nova's class at school. I saw him there the other day." She added.

"So they're pretty normal guys." Dean said.

"I don't care if they're normal guys, what they're doing is illegal." Punk said, "And they're the reason I was put on lockdown for four years." He said, "Where else have you saw them?" Punk turned to AJ.

"Well… just before you came, we saw where they were keeping the women and children. There's an old building site about fifteen minutes from here. It's like a neglected piece of landing that looks like it's been bought over halfway through building." AJ shrugged, "We saw everything that was going on in it." She nodded, "We're talking rape, prostitution, child abuse, drug and ammunition smuggling." AJ said, "These are dirty men."

"So we're not taking on these guys?" Eve asked.

"There's around fifty to seventy of them… that we know of." Punk said as Eve raised her eyebrows, "I'm not up to fighting them. We contact the people we need to end this, like Carter should have been doing, and we end this, whether it's bad for the public, whether there's overcrowding in prisons, I don't give a shit… I lost four years of my life to these fuckers and they're not getting away with what they're doing." He shook his head as they nodded.

"I say tomorrow we meet at the station." Rocky said, "We let the station know what's going on, we talk to Walter, and we get in contact with people. The quicker we get this done the better." He nodded.

"Walter already knows everything." Punk said, "But don't be mad at him. Carter threatened his job against him if he didn't ok everything."

"I used to cry to him about you." AJ folded her arms and shook her head.

"We all did." Eve shook her head.

"Well let's not go blaming anyone. The only people we blame is Carter and his agency, and the men out there who we're all in this war for." Punk said, "We should really just go to the station tonight." He said.

"I think we all need to just take a minute to breathe." Rocky said, "Things are going way too fast right now." He said.

"Yeah, and we need to get back to Tyler." Seth said.

"Who is Tyler?" Punk asked as they all looked at him.

"Our… Our son." Eve nodded, "We had a baby." She smiled to him as he nodded. Of course. Another reminder of how his life and everything and everyone in it had been cut off for four years.

"Congratulations." Punk nodded to them both, everyone seeing the hurt expression on his face that he really had missed a lot.

"Me and Angela finally got married." Rocky added as Punk nodded.

"Took you long enough." Punk joked, using laughter as best he could to cope with the fact he had missed four years of his life, and it had never been clearer as it was right now.

"I got fired." Dean said as they all turned to him as Punk shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Punk shook his head.

"I got fired from the station. I was showing up drunk all the time." Dean shrugged honestly as Punk looked across at him, "AJ has been helping me." Dean nodded as Punk turned to AJ who nodded.

"I'm sorry, man." Punk shook his head, "We'll… we'll get you your job back. You're still a part of this." He said as Dean just nodded, "I guess a lot has gone on." He muttered to himself.

"We have plenty of time to fix it." Eve stood up, "We just gotta take care of all of this shit first." She nodded.

"Yeah." Punk said, "We'll see you bright and early tomorrow." Punk nodded as one by one they all gave him a tight hug, especially Dean who squeezed Punk to death. No one still really believed it, including AJ. It was unbelievable.

They eventually all left the apartment, leaving AJ and Punk alone.

"What if they come looking for you?" AJ asked worriedly, looking across at him as he stood in a daydream. Listening to all his friends tell him what's been going on, really hit him with a hard slap of reality that he had been gone for four years, and life here had carried on without him. It hadn't been easy, but they still had to carry on, and he'd missed so much.

"They won't." Punk shook his head, "They're dicks but they're not unprofessional, they're not gonna come drag me away from the apartment at this time, especially when more people know I'm alive now, they're probably shaking already." He said as AJ nodded.

"Do you think it's all gonna work out?" AJ asked.

"We have the proof, don't we?" Punk shrugged, "It's just getting people on our side now that we need to make happen." He nodded, "We should go pick Nova up from my dad's." He nodded.

"I think maybe she should stay there tonight with him." AJ said as Punk turned to her, "I don't want her getting caught up in this. It's better she stays with him. Just for tonight." AJ said, "I know you're desperate to see her and hug her and talk to her." AJ nodded, taking his hands in hers, "But she's still just a little girl who will end up confused and scared." AJ said.

"Scared of me?" Punk asked.

"I didn't say that." AJ said, "She's not used to all of this commotion, and I don't want her to get used to it." She said, "We have all the time in the world to be with her, and that's something I never imagined." She admitted with a smile as he nodded, "So let's just… sort all of this out first, and then we can… we can try to be a family again." She said as he nodded.

"That's all I've wanted for four years." Punk admitted as AJ nodded, cupping his cheeks and leaning up to kiss him, pressing her lips softly against his, wrapping her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss further, sliding his hands down her back and to her ass, picking her up as she gasped into his mouth.

He carried her into their bedroom and shut the door over with his foot. He felt like he'd waited a lifetime to be back in this bedroom with her, and AJ still felt like she was being held captive in the longest dream.

Punk placed her down on the bed, leaning over her as he continued to kiss her. It was rushed and sloppy, but both felt like if they didn't hurry, they'd run out of time, but the time was theirs now.

Punk kissed down her jaw and to her neck as she rolled her head back against the mattress. She hadn't let anyone in like this whilst he had been 'dead' apparently. She didn't ever entertain the idea of dating again, or even one-night-stands. She wasn't interested in anyone else, and she didn't have any love to give to anyone else. She didn't have anything to give after thinking he was dead.

"God, I've missed you." Punk whispered in her ear, tugging on her ear lobe whilst continuing to kiss her neck as she pulled at the bottom of his t-shirt, breaking apart for a second as he lifted his t-shirt up and threw it over on the floor. He went back to kiss her when she placed her hands on his chests to stop him.

"Your scar." She noticed where he had been shot, grazing her hand along it as he looked down.

"They're all adding up now." Punk whispered.

"Mine too." AJ whispered back, lifting her own t-shirt off her body as he noticed the white scar down her torso, "Two years ago. Armed robber." AJ nodded as Punk looked at the scar, tracing his thumb over the white trail as he looked back at her, leaning back down and pressing his lips against hers softly, reaching behind and unclasping her bra, throwing it away carelessly as he cupped her breasts and kissed down her chest.

AJ still couldn't believe this was happening, even with him here, half naked with her, she still couldn't believe any of it. For him to just walk back into her life, someone she loved with all her heart, someone she was scared to love with all her heart incase the exact thing that happened to her, would happen. He wasn't just her boyfriend who she lived with and had a baby with. He was her best friend, her soul mate, her voice of reason, her everything, and she had really struggled without him in her life. Now he was here. Just like she remembered him.

"Phil." She gasped breathlessly, feeling his tongue swirl around her nipple, switching from using his hands to his mouth as he took loving care of her.

He'd dreamed of this for the longest time and now it was finally happening. He was back home. A place they were safe. She was his home. Wherever she was.

He kissed down her body, kissing over her small stomach and reaching the waistband of her jeans, unbuttoning them and shimmying them off, leaving her just in her panties as she looked down at him. Her heart was racing, not because she was nervous but because she was longing for this. She needed this. Her heart needed warmed back up again.

Punk shifted her panties to the side, kissing the insides of her thighs before parting her folds and using his tongue on her softly and gently. He didn't want to assume, but he felt like she'd not been touched during their four-year absence. He wasn't expecting her to stay loyal. He was dead to her. He would have understood if she had tried to move on, but for some reason he sensed that the last time she was touched was by him, four years ago.

"Phil." AJ moaned, biting her lip and looking down at him, her heart racing fast as she felt pleasure rise in her body, "Oh my God." She gasped, suddenly feeling him slide a finger inside her, lifting his head and moving back up her body, keeping his finger inside her as he rocked it back and forth, kissing her on the lips to swallow her moans, "More." AJ nodded desperately, looking into his eyes as he smiled and slid another finger inside her as she trembled and rolled her head back.

"Just like I remember." He whispered to her, hitting off her g-spot whilst his thumb began to rub her clit as she moaned loudly.

"Phil!" She cried out, "Don't stop, baby please." She begged, moaning and panting loudly as Punk watched her, getting rock hard at the mere sight of her.

"I'm here. Just let it go." Punk nudged her neck, kissing around her pulse point as she eventually came, grabbing his wrist down below as she tightened around him, her whole-body quivering and shaking as she leaned into him for support as he watched her. He'd never seen her like this before. Sure, they'd had their fair share of passionate nights, but this was just different. They'd never had this longing feeling for one another.

"Oh my God, baby." AJ moaned, looking up at him as he smiled, taking his fingers from her as she rolled them over so he was on his back and she was on top, taking his hand and sucking on his fingers whilst she undone his jeans as he watched lustfully.

She got rid of his jeans and boxers, as well as sliding her own panties off, straddling over him where she stroked him up and down before guiding his length up inside her as he let out a loud groan.

"Fuck me." Punk groaned to himself as she smirked.

"I am." She whispered, taking him all the way in, placing her hands on his chest as she looked down at him, "Fuck." She moaned to herself, her breath being taken away as she began to move up and down on him.

"Jesus Christ, April." Punk moaned, placing his hands on her hips. Being away from each other for this long made this all the more intense and while AJ felt like she was already going to let go of another orgasm, Punk just wanted to stay in this moment forever, watching her beauty, taking all of her in, the sight, the feeling, the touch.

He watched her completely lose herself, her small but perky breasts bouncing up and down as she moved her hips up and down onto him, watching as she let go of another orgasm, collapsing over him and shaking as he kissed her cheek.

"Oh my God." AJ moaned in his ear, "I can't believe you're here." She whispered still, completely out of breath as he slid up the bed so he was sitting up against the headboard whilst she still straddled him with his length buried deep inside of her.

They continued to make love. AJ couldn't remember the last time she'd let go like this and Punk was just taking in every single part of it, gazing at her beauty and never ever taking it for granted. He knew how painful it was to live without her, and having her back was a dream come true.

"Fuck, I'm gonna cum." Punk groaned as AJ nodded, holding onto his shoulders whilst he held onto her waist, kissing each other roughly whilst he sometimes took her breasts into his mouth, doing all he could to please her and tease her with all he had.

"Oh… Oh, right there!" AJ moaned, feeling him hit her g-spot perfectly, hitting another orgasm as she leaned onto his shoulder, her juices spilling out wildly onto his mid-section as she gasped and shook.

"Fuck, baby." Punk groaned, finding his own release as he came hard, groaning loudly with every spurt he made inside her, gripping her hips whilst she turned her head and looked at him, kissing the edge of his mouth whilst he rested his head back against the headboard.

They were sweaty, sticky and amongst messy bed sheets, but that didn't stop them. Four years without one another was their version of agonizing and brutal torture, and they just wanted to forget about everything that was going on, and lose themselves like they used to. As a couple, as best friends, as parents trying to protect their child, as soulmates. Tonight, was theirs.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	16. Missed Moments

**Missed Moments**

* * *

"How has your health been?" Punk asked later that night as he lay with AJ in the quiet apartment. She was curled into him whilst he lay on his back, her leg draped over his whilst the sheets rested over their body.

"Right now?" AJ asked him.

"In general." Punk said, playing with a strand of her hair.

"I didn't come out of my apartment for the first month." AJ told him truthfully, "I didn't want to speak to anyone. It was like a depressive cycle that was just never ending." She shook her head, "The only time I left the apartment was to walk Ace, go to the store, and the day of your funeral." She shook her head, thinking of how bizarre that sounded when he was right here with her.

"I'm sorry you had to suffer." Punk sighed.

"You suffered too." AJ said, "You… You never got to see Nova grow up to what she is now." She shook her head, "We never got to raise her like we planned to." She said, "That's what made me so upset. I was desperate for her to know you and see how amazing you were." She admitted, "And thinking I'd never see you ever again was everything I was scared of." She admitted as he nodded.

He knew she was always scared of losing people she loved all the way back since she lost her sister, so he knew this was bound to leave some emotional scarring on her.

"I thought about you every day." Punk whispered, "You and Nova." He nodded.

"She was the only reason I was getting out of bed every morning." AJ said, "She sort of took over your role as my best friend."

"Oh, no." Punk smiled as she laughed lightly, "I'm glad you had each other, though." He nodded.

"You must have been so lonely out there." AJ shook her head, "What did you do the entire time?" She asked him.

"I would do jobs or Carter, or I'd do things around the house." Punk nodded, "Some days I just slept the entire time because I didn't want to be present in my own reality." He admitted, "I begged for pictures of you and Nova, but they didn't give me anything. They just told me every now and then that you were ok." Punk shrugged.

"Bastards." AJ spat, "They've tore our life apart." She shook her head.

"We'll get it back." Punk nodded, "And I know it's not gonna be easy once it's all said and done. We can't just pick up where we left off and carry on… but I will put every single ounce of energy I have into making us a family again and being there for Nova." He said.

"I know you will." AJ looked up at him and nodded, "She will love you. You both have the same attitude." She nodded.

"That might not be a good thing." Punk laughed nervously as she smiled.

"I think it'll be a good thing." AJ smiled, "I would have told her about you but… I always thought she was too young for me to explain that you died." She said, "So up until yesterday I hadn't mentioned much about you."

"I understand." Punk said, "You don't have to explain anything to me. You've… You've got on so well with raising her alone. Not that I expected anything less but… I was worried about you and how you would be." He said.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. Some days I wanted to just lock myself in my room and never come out. Some days were really bad where your dad would have to take care of Nova because I couldn't even get out of bed and dress myself." AJ said, "But… I knew life had to go on, and I had to look after Nova because she was a part of you I got to keep." She nodded, "I went back to work and life just sort of… carried on. Rocky got married. Eve and Seth just had a baby."

"And Dean?" Punk asked, "What the hell happened there?" Punk asked her.

"He just lost his way." AJ said, "He began drinking a lot after you were gone. He just wasn't coping. We all sort of had our escapes. I had Nova to focus on. Eve and Seth had each other. Rocky had his girl. And Dean had alcohol." AJ shrugged, "It got so bad where he was showing up to the station drunk. Or some nights he'd show up here drunk. I used to shout at him considering I had a little girl in the apartment, but then I… I started to feel bad for him. He didn't have anyone, and I knew I had to be there for him." AJ nodded, "He just really missed you. We all did."

"I missed you guys." Punk nodded, "I just wanna do right by you, and get this over with so we can start being a family again." He said as she nodded.

"It's all I've ever wanted." AJ nodded, "Do you think it's gonna go to plan?" She asked him.

"I hope so." Punk said, "If we get the right people on our side. It's not our fight to fight. We just gotta inform people now. It is too big for us to handle. We've done the hard part of figuring out where these guys are…. Well, you've done the hard part." He smiled down at her as she smiled.

"So nothing has changed between us then." AJ smirked up at him as he laughed.

"Hey." He nudged her as she smiled, both of them laughing, having missed this terribly.

"I found the ring." AJ blurted out as Punk looked down at her, "When your desk got cleared out." She told him as he nodded, "When were you gonna ask me?" She wondered.

"I was gonna ask you way before you got pregnant." Punk said truthfully, "That's when I bought it. And then Nova came along and I figured we had her to focus on more, and then we talked about marriage and it seemed like both of us were… ok with not being married, so it just sort of sat there in my desk." Punk told her truthfully as she nodded.

"When you were gone, I kept thinking of all the things we hadn't done, all the things I regretted and… that was one of them." She nodded, "But I guess I didn't want to get married for the exact situation I was in. I didn't want to lose you." She shook her head.

"I know." Punk nodded, "Maybe one day." He looked down at her as she nodded. Both of them really knew now that life was so short, even though he had come back, and they didn't want to have any regrets.

"I'm tired." AJ whispered to him, resting her cheek on his chest whilst his arm curved around her to hold her close.

"Yeah, me too." Punk sighed.

"Haven't slept right in four years." She admitted truthfully as he nodded.

"I know the feeling." He said, "We should get some sleep. We're gonna have a long day." He nodded.

"Yeah." AJ agreed, closing her eyes over, for the first time feeling safe again in his arms as she fell asleep peacefully. Just having that promise of family again was everything to her, and something she really had only dreamed of.

* * *

They slept for a few hours until Punk woke up. He decided to take a shower and quietly got out of bed, so not to disturb AJ. He smiled looking down at her naked body amongst the messy sheets, sound asleep at peace. Knowing she wasn't suffering with his 'death' on her mind all of the time was a blessing for her.

He knew his clothes wouldn't still be here, so he had to put on his clothes from last night, taking a hot shower, trimming his beard, grabbing a spear toothbrush from under the sink in the cupboard and brushing his teeth before leaving the bedroom, continuing to smile on at AJ laying comfortably asleep.

He left their bedroom where Ace jumped up on him to say good morning.

"Hi, boy." Punk smiled quietly, "Oh, man. I missed you so much." Punk said, rubbing the dog behind his ears, "You want your breakfast? Ok." Punk nodded, walking over to the kitchen where everything was still where he remembered, giving Ace his breakfast as he looked up at the fridge which had some drawings on it which he knew obviously weren't AJ's.

He took them off from under the magnets and smiled at them. They were pretty good for a five-year-old, and he already couldn't wait to sit beside Nova as she drew a picture. It was little things like that, that he'd missed out on that bummed him out.

He wandered out of the kitchen and into Nova's room where the last time he was in, was filled with a crib, a changing table, a rocking chair, a book shelf with practically all picture books. Now it was extremely different.

He smiled at her action figures along the window sill, and the different posters she had stuck up. She definitely had her own little personality, he could already tell. He left her room after standing in the centre of it for quite some time, walking back into he and AJ's bedroom, searching for something he knew would be of value to him now more than ever.

He sunk to his knees and looked under the bed, grabbing the scrap book AJ made up from the day she was born, and disappearing out into the living room with it. He remembered saying to AJ that it was a stupid idea, because they were going to have the memories in their heads, and they didn't need pictures, but now he couldn't have been more grateful for the book.

He sat it on the coffee table, opening it up and finding where he last left off.

He then proceeded to flick through birthdays, Christmas', first steps, haircut, first time on the swings, on the chute, her first pair of converse (which made him chuckle), Halloween costumes, her first ice-cream, her first time at the beach, her first time holding Ace's leash, pictures with her uncles and aunt, pictures with Dan, pictures with AJ. It was all there, but it wasn't quite as good as being there in the moment. All he had was pictures. And in a way, that was sad.

He listened as the bedroom door squeaked opened, watching AJ walk out in a dress robe as he pushed a smile to her as she noticed what he was doing.

"I missed all of this." He nodded, looking on at the pictures, some of the most recent ones. He hadn't quite thought about just how much he really had missed, he guessed he tried not to.

"You're here now." AJ sighed, placing her hand on his arm and sitting down beside him, "We can make up for all the time you lost." She nodded.

"I missed this." Punk repeated, still in a daze as he looked at the pictures whilst AJ frowned sadly, resting her head against his shoulder and rubbing his arm comfortingly as he flicked back and forth through the pictures.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! Thanks for the reviews and support. I really appreciate it.**


	17. Calling For Help

**Calling For Help**

* * *

Punk continued to look through the scrap book album whilst AJ got ready. She'd called Dan who told her that Nova had put up a little bit of a fight to go to school this morning. AJ felt incredibly bad for how Nova had been almost neglected in a way over the past few days, she felt like a terrible mother, but she knew her daughter was safe with Dan, and this would all be over soon. Hopefully.

"You ready to go?" AJ asked, coming out of the bedroom, grabbing her gun as Punk nodded, standing up and leaving the scrap book. He wanted to look at the pictures all day. Especially the ones of AJ and Nova. They were his whole world, and he hadn't been here for them for four long years. He was trying not to show it, but he was starting to find it really difficult.

"Yeah, let's go." Punk took a deep breath and walked over to her.

"Rocky said he'd round everyone in the station up to let them know what's going on. Like you said, the more people know you're alive, the more Carter stays away, right?" She said as Punk nodded, walking out of the apartment with her, "And plus, I'm sure you don't want people fainting left right and centre when we go in." She said.

"No, I don't want that." Punk laughed a little, "Are they gonna call Walter? He should be here." Punk nodded.

"Rocky said he's already there." AJ said, walking down the apartment block steps as they eventually left the block and headed to the car, "Your dad called me before I went for a shower. He said Nova didn't want to go to school today." She said, getting into the car with him.

"Why not?" Punk asked.

"He just said she wanted to stay at home." AJ said. She couldn't believe he was really here for her to seek parenting advice on. She'd never had anyone to talk to about Nova and what motherly challenges she had faced, and now he was here, they could face parenting together again.

"You think she's scared?" Punk asked her.

"No, but I think she's confused." AJ nodded, "It's a lot going on for a five-year-old. And I feel like I've just neglected her these past few days whilst taking on all of this case." She admitted, "I feel like a terrible mother."

"Don't even go there." Punk shook his head seriously, "It's been four years. You've done this alone. You've raised Nova on your own. And maybe I've not met her properly yet." It killed him to say, "But I know she's smart, and brave, just like you. You raised her right, and you didn't neglect her." Punk said, a little angry that she would even say something like that.

"Thank you." AJ whispered. She missed his assuring words.

"She's probably just a little confused and she probably does miss you, but this will all blow over." Punk nodded.

"I'm supposed to be taking her to the zoo tomorrow." AJ said, turning the engine on and pulling off onto the road, "She was supposed to go to a sleepover and-"

"A sleepover? She's five." Punk shook his head.

"Yeah, well that's what I thought, but I figured I wouldn't be strict mom for once and I'd let her go, all her little friends were going, and I spoke to the girl's mom, so it was fine." AJ nodded, "And then I find out that the little girls dad is Billy Stone." AJ said as Punk laughed to himself.

"So you told Nova you'd take her to the zoo instead?" Punk chuckled.

"Damn right." AJ nodded as Punk smiled.

"My girl." Punk smiled, "Maybe we can work something out." He told her.

"I really don't like letting her down." AJ nodded, "She doesn't cry but her eyes go all teary, and she hides the fact she's upset by pretending that she's angry." AJ nodded, it feeling strange to explain to him things and features about his own daughter.

"Sounds like someone I know." Punk smiled as she glanced at him and rolled her eyes.

"Ok, so maybe we're a little bit alike." AJ nodded as Punk smiled.

"Are you kidding? She's just you. She looks exactly like you." Punk said.

"She has your attitude, don't get too excited." AJ said, "She does that thing you do with your nose and mouth when your angry." AJ said. It might have been four years, but she still knew her boyfriend, she still knew the only man she'd ever trusted, and would ever trust in her entire life, and she wanted him to know his daughter, just as much as he did.

"What thing?" Punk laughed as AJ demonstrated whilst keeping her eyes on the road, "Uh… I don't do that when I'm angry." Punk shook his head.

"Oh, you do. Trust me." AJ smiled. She'd really missed this. She'd missed just having someone to talk to. She'd missed him.

They eventually pulled up to the station and got out. Punk was nervous to see everybody. He was glad Rocky had rounded them all up to let them know, but he was still expecting a shocked response.

"You ok?" AJ asked him, reaching down and squeezing his hand with assurance as he nodded, walking round the car and looking at the exact spot where he had gotten shot, "I couldn't walk by here for the longest time." AJ admitted.

"This is where it all went wrong, isn't it?" Punk nodded to her.

"We're gonna end it." She nodded, kissing the side of his arm as they walked towards the stations doors, pulling them opened as they walked on in, watching as everyone's head turned, looking on at Punk like he was a ghost. He felt like an entertainment act the way they all were looking at him, but then one by one, they all began to approach him, shaking his hand or hugging him, expressing to him how good it was to see him and have him back. Now he was really home.

* * *

Later on, Dan had gotten a phone call from Nova's school, to ask him if he could come collect her as she wasn't feeling well. Dan knew she just didn't want to be there, but he left his house anyway and headed to the school, walking into the main office where he saw Nova sitting on one of the chairs with a sick bowl on her lap, swinging her legs back and forth.

"Hi, grandpa Dan!" Nova exclaimed excitedly but then quickly turned away when her head mistress walked out, pretending she was ill again as Dan shook his head but smiled.

"You must be here for Nova?" The head mistress said as Dan nodded.

"Did you try calling her mom?" Dan asked.

"We were going to but… Nova here told us you were looking after her, and that her mother would be busy." The head mistress said as Dan just nodded, "She's had a tummy ache since this morning." She said as Dan looked over at Nova sitting.

"Ok, I'll take her home." Dan smiled, signing whatever he had to sign and collecting Nova who ditched her sick bowl and latched onto her grandfather's hand as he walked her out of the school, "Tummy ache, huh?" Dan looked down at her as she nodded with a smile.

"Is my mommy with daddy? Did you know I have a daddy now?" Nova looked up at her grandpa who raised his eyebrows. He still wasn't used to this. It was still surreal, and he still didn't know what the hell was going on. He knew it would be some cop business, but he couldn't understand what.

"Yeah, they're together right now." Dan nodded, "You met him?" He wondered.

"Yeah, well… only for a few minutes. He has drawrings on his arms. Did you know?" Nova asked him as they approached the car where Dan lifted her into the back to help her strap in.

"I did know, yeah." Dan chuckled a little, "Seems like you're excited to see him again."

"My best friends Ashley and Maddie have daddy's and now I do too." Nova nodded, "Is he going to stay? Do you think he'll stay?" She asked him curiously as he strapped her in.

"He'll stay, sweetheart. Trust me." Dan nodded, "Do you really have tummy ache? Because if you do, I'll need to stop on my way back to get some medicine from the store." He told her.

"It's feeling better now." Nova nodded as Dan nodded.

"It got better from the walk to the car?" Dan raised a brow as Nova nodded.

"I think ice-cream might help." Nova admitted.

"You think so?" Dan asked her as she smiled and nodded, "You're having me on, girl." He shook his head as she giggled, shutting the door over and getting into the front of the car. He remembered Punk doing the exact same thing at school several times when he was Nova's age. He couldn't believe the son he thought he'd lost after working things out, was actually back again. It was unbelievable, especially when hearing Nova refer to him.

* * *

"So if we get the DHS involved, do you think they'd have a better idea of what to do?" AJ asked, sitting in a boardroom with Punk, Seth, Dean, Rocky and Walter. Eve was taking it slow and staying at home with the baby.

"All I know is that we can't possibly do it alone." Walter told them, standing up whilst they all sat around the table, "What I'm gonna do is… I'm gonna contact the DHS and call for a briefing. Phil, you'll definitely need to be present, April and Rocky too." Walter nodded, "You're not even working here." He turned to Dean.

"I wanna help out." Dean said.

"Yeah, and then you give him his job back." Punk added in, "It's the least you could do after lying to all of them all this time." He took a dig. He was mad that Walter had fired Dean, especially under the circumstances of what was going on.

"I had to keep quiet otherwise I lost my job." Walter said.

"Yeah, well I lost my life for four years. What are you gonna do?" Punk spat as they all stayed quiet, "So we get homeland in, we tell them where these guys are and what they're doing, and we also need to figure out who the people are in France that are sending things over." Punk nodded.

"And what about Carter? Do you think they'll do anything about him? I mean… what they've done is illegal." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"I don't know what they'll do about them. Right now, I just want all of this shit over with. It's gone on for too long." He shook his head.

"I'll go make a few phone calls. You guys prepared to stay late tonight?" Walter asked them.

"How late?" AJ asked.

"I don't know, late enough to make it late." Walter said.

"What?" Seth turned to him with confusion, "A time, Walter!" He said.

"I don't know, 11." Walter shrugged as AJ turned to Punk.

"What about Nova?" AJ shook her head.

"You can go. I'll stay." Punk nodded.

"No, I need to be here if we're having a briefing." AJ said as Punk sat back on his chair and nodded.

"Ok, we get all of this done tonight, even if we have to stay through the night." Punk said, "You're taking Nova to the zoo tomorrow so you won't be here." He told AJ who smiled to herself.

"We're taking her." AJ corrected him and nodded.

"Well you better hope we go through everything we need to with homeland tonight." Walter said, "I'll be back." He said, walking out of the boardroom.

"I should call your dad." AJ said as Punk nodded, watching her leave the room as he looked on at his friends looking at him.

"What?" Punk said.

"I just… still can't believe you're here." Dean shook his head, "Do you think this will go smoothly?" He asked them.

"When does it ever go smoothly." Seth groaned, "It's not our fight to fight this time. We tell the DHS about this and they sort it out. We're just cops at the end of the day." He said as they all nodded. It was true. They couldn't take on something like this just as some cops from a station. It was a big thing to take care of, and it had to be done properly, especially with how long it had been going on for.

Walter eventually came back in the boardroom after making his calls, holding two badges in his hands as Punk watched him throw one to him and one to Dean.

"Let's end this." Walter nodded to them all, having his best cops and his best detective to depend on through all of this, even after all the wrong that had happened.

Punk picked up his Sergeant badge, turning to Dean who held his in his hand thankfully. It felt good to be back.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	18. Prince

**Prince**

* * *

AJ and Punk along with everyone else involved spent hours in a briefing in the station, going through everything with the agents who had flown in to Chicago to speak with them. The agents from the DHS were shocked to say the least, and finally after the briefing was over, actions were being made immediately, all thanks to AJ, Punk and Rocky's evidence that they had found on these men. Their part was over. Perhaps it was anti-climactic for them, but this wasn't their field. They went after armed robbers, kidnappers, looked into murders. They didn't hunt down a circuit of human trafficking, drug and ammunition smuggling which had been going on for four years. Their part was over now, all they could do was speak up on what they knew, the information was now with people who truly cared about these people in danger, and truly cared about keeping the country safe from men like Billy.

"What time is it?" Punk asked, walking out of the station as AJ took out her cell phone. All of them looked like they had been dragged through a bush backwards. The briefing was hard going, and they'd been at it since early in the morning.

"It' 1am." AJ almost groaned, putting her phone back in her pocket as Seth yawned and stretched.

"Eve will kill me." Seth shook his head.

"We should all head home. It's been a tough day." Punk nodded, looking at his tired friends and girlfriend, "We've done and said everything we possibly could." Punk shrugged.

"I don't feel like we've done enough." AJ admitted truthfully, folding her arms.

"We'll still cover it and get word on what's going on, but… we can't physically do anything now. It's up to Homeland." Punk waved his hand as they nodded, "And they're gonna look for Carter too. That way no crime like this ever gets covered up again." Punk nodded.

"What if they can't find him?" Dean asked, "The guy probably has two identities if he's in a secret service type deal." Dean nodded.

"Well, whoever and wherever he is. He can't hide forever." Punk said, "If you don't mind, the last time I stood here talking to you all, a van drove by and shot me." He said as they all nodded, "Not that I'm not anticipating it to happen again, but… it is 1am and my eyes feel like they have paper cuts." He admitted truthfully as they all smiled and nodded.

"We'll see you tomorrow." Rocky nodded.

"Uh… no." AJ shook her head, "We're going to the zoo tomorrow." She said as they looked at her blankly.

"You're going to the zoo? When all this shit is going on?" Dean asked with confusion.

"I promised Nova." AJ explained.

"And this shit is no longer our shit." Punk reminded them, "We've done our part. Now it's over to Homeland to come through." He said as they all nodded, "We'll speak to you all soon." He said. He still really hadn't gotten the chance to sit down and really take in the fact that he was home, and his relationship with his daughter was still the main priority he had.

* * *

The gang all broke up and headed home whilst AJ and Punk drove to Dan's to pick Nova up who was no doubt sleeping. AJ knew that Nova was just kidding on that she was sick earlier on when Dan picked her up. She was a curious little girl, just like her, and she was no doubt anxious and nervous about everything going on, and probably didn't feel like being in school. Considering how confusing and complicated everything was, AJ didn't blame her.

They got into Dan's, and whilst Punk explained to his father everything that was going on and why he had been gone for four years, AJ collected Nova from the spare bedroom where she slept when she stayed over, lifting her out of the bed as she stayed fast asleep.

She entered the living room as Punk turned, smiling on at his daughter fast asleep. He still couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe he was home and in the same space as his daughter and girlfriend. His beautiful daughter and girlfriend. He felt lucky, and grateful, and his four-year absence had almost made him appreciate the gift of family and love that little bit more.

Once explaining all he could to his father, he and AJ left with Nova fast asleep in the back of the car.

"Do you think it'll all work out?" AJ asked him, completely exhausted after such a long, exhausting day, turning to Punk as they pulled up outside the apartment block in the dark street.

"It should." Punk nodded to her, "We've gave them a pretty good run down. Names, faces, places. What else do they need?" Punk asked.

"They still don't know what's going on in France." AJ said.

"AJ, we can't figure everything out. Ok, we're not in France." Punk nodded, "I… I lost four years of my life for this, I think we've done enough." He said, "It's their job now, not ours."

"We can still help." AJ said.

"I know we can." Punk nodded, "But I'm more interested in getting to know my daughter that I haven't even got to properly talk to yet." Punk whispered quietly, looking in the rear-view mirror at Nova who was fast asleep, "Being away has taught me a lot, and it's to not take family for granted." He shook his head as she nodded.

"I know that." AJ said, "It's not gonna be easy though, is it?" AJ asked him nervously.

"Nothing is ever easy with us." Punk smiled, "Let's face it." He said, "We'll just… take it slow, Nova can set the pace." Punk nodded, "She's the boss." He smiled, turning around and looking at Nova.

"She is." AJ nodded truthfully, turning around too and smiling.

"C'mon." Punk nodded to her, "Let's get inside." He said as she nodded, both of them getting out of the car.

Punk hesitated by the back door as AJ walked around, looking over at him and nodding, "You can get her." She smiled to him as he nodded. She hated that he felt like he needed permission to touch his own daughter. She knew this was going to be a long process. He really had been gone for a long time, and having him fit back into a routine with them wasn't going to be as easy as she thought.

Punk opened up the back door and lifted out Nova carefully. The last time he was lifting her and carrying her was when she was still just a small baby wriggling in his arms.

AJ shut the car door behind him whilst he walked on into the apartment block with Nova, climbing the stairs, taking so much pride in just carrying his sleeping daughter into what he could finally call his home again.

AJ opened up the door and they walked on in, "Just put her into her bed." AJ nodded to him as he looked a little clueless on what to do.

"Ok." Punk whispered, walking off into Nova's bedroom, pushing the door opened and placing her down in her bed, pulling the covers over her and making sure she was comfortable. He'd dreamed of this. Being able to put her to bed. It was the little things that most parents probably didn't think about, that mattered to him so deeply.

He tucked the teddy bear that was sitting in beside her, not knowing if it was her favourite or not, but doing it anyway, crouching down and stroking her hair back from her face as she continued to sleep peacefully.

"Goodnight, baby." Punk smiled. He couldn't wait to just listen to her talk, and to watch her. He hadn't got that chance yet, and tomorrow he was dedicating the full day to her. It saddened him that he had to 'get to know' his daughter, but he was willing to put everything he had into being her dad again.

"I love you." He whispered. He could have just watched her all night (in a non-creepy way), just watching her chest rise and fall, but he didn't want to chance disturbing her, so he left her room and shut the door over behind him whilst walking over to the couch where AJ was sitting patting Ace whilst enjoying a hot chocolate.

"It's 1am." Punk smiled to her, followed by a yawn as she nodded.

"I know I won't be able to sleep." AJ nodded to him as he walked over to her and sat down beside her, "What if they can't catch these people, Phil? What happens then?" AJ turned to him.

"They will." Punk nodded, "They're used to dealing with things like this." He assured her, "April, we can't fix everything. We've already suffered enough for all of this." He said.

"I know we have." AJ said, "But if these are the guys who shot you, like we think… what if they come back once they find out you're alive? What if Homeland can't get all of them? Will we just be… living in fear the entire time?"

"No, we won't." Punk said, "April, don't worry yourself sick about this. We have a hell of a lot more people on our side than they do. It's out there now. That was the biggest challenge, now that it's out there, something will be done about it, and no one is gonna come back for round two." Punk shook his head.

"You don't know that." AJ shook her head. She was even more worried now that someone would try take him from her again. Even more worried than she was before. Now she knew what it felt to 'lose' him, she couldn't go through it again.

"I have a feeling." Punk smiled to her, "And someone told me, to always trust my feelings." He smiled to her as she nodded.

"Who told you that?" AJ played with a tired smile.

"Oh, she was this cute, smart, funny, brilliant woman I met a long time ago." He waved his hand, "She's alright now, I guess." He joked as she shoved him playfully.

"Alright." AJ scoffed as Punk smiled, "Won't you have to like… sign things and talk to people now that you're not dead?" AJ wondered.

"I spoke to some people on the phone today when you were talking to one of the agents." Punk said, "And I signed a few things but… I assume I'll have to speak to some higher up officials about everything going on." He said, "But tomorrow… tomorrow we're going to the zoo." He told her as she smiled and nodded, leaning over and pressing a kiss on his lips softly.

* * *

The next morning, Punk woke up to the sound of noise from the kitchen. He turned and saw AJ was still fast asleep on her side, so he grabbed a pair of basketball shorts (Dean had gave him some spare clothes for the time being) and a t-shirt, and headed out of the bedroom, pausing as he looked over at Nova kneeling up on one of the kitchen chairs, mixing a bowl of what looked like pancake batter. Was she five? Or sixteen?

He was a little nervous since he hadn't gotten the chance to really talk to her yet, which sounded so bizarre, but it was true.

"Oh, hi." Nova noticed him and looked over at him with a smile whilst Punk walked further into the kitchen, looking on at Ace sitting beside Nova, some pancake batter in his fur that had been dropped from the bowl.

"Hey." Punk laughed, not being able to help it, "What are you… what are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm making pancakes." Nova told him, "And I… I added more since you're here." She nodded.

"You… You always make pancakes in the morning?" Punk asked her, watching her every movement, fascinated by her and how someone so beautiful and sweet could be his.

"No." Nova giggled, continuing to mix the batter, "Just the weekend. But mommy says I only make the mix and I don't touch the stove until she wakes up." Nova nodded, knowing she was doing what she was told.

"Yeah, you could have a bad accident with the stove." Punk nodded.

"Yeah." Nova agreed with him, "Did you sleepover?" She asked him as he raised his eyebrows. It hurt him to know she thought he had to 'sleepover' when he saw this as his own home. She saw it as her and AJ's home, nothing more.

"Uh… yeah." Punk nodded.

"Did you sleep in mommy's bed because there are no other rooms or beds?" Nova questioned him.

"Yeah." Punk smiled.

"So since you're an adults." Nova stepped down from the chair, taking her bowl of mix and walking over him, "Can you start making them, please?" She asked him sweetly, extending the messy bowl to him with mix dripping down the sides. Punk had to give it to her, it was impressive she knew how to make the mix, or maybe she didn't and he was going to taste very floury pancakes, either way, he loved it.

"I can." Punk nodded, walking over to the stove and turning on the pan whilst she stood watching him closely.

"We're going to the zoo today, would you like to come?" Nova asked, her hands behind her back as she looked over at him, "It's my favourite place and mommy says it's yours too." Nova recalled as Punk smiled and nodded, "She said we're alike."

"She did, did she?" Punk smiled, "I'd love to come, if you'll have me."

"There's room." Nova nodded, as if running on a schedule, "Do you… Do you like he monkeys?" She asked him, walking further over to him as he watched her. He couldn't take his eyes from her. This moment, no matter how minor it was to the naked eye, it was everything to him. For the past four years, he'd woke up to dry cereal and an empty, huge house. This was what he'd dreamed of waking up to. And maybe Nova wasn't quite ready to accept him into her life as her father so quickly, but she was curious and willing to, and that was enough to work with.

"The monkeys are my favourite." Punk told her, pouring some of the mix onto the pan, making two pancakes at a time as he kept an eye on them.

"They're my favourite!" Nova exclaimed, "Mommy says their cheeky like me."

"She used to say the exact same thing to me." Punk nodded to her as Nova smiled.

"Hows come you're here?" Nova wondered as she watched him. He was just as fascinating to her as she was to him. He'd come like a gust of wind into her life, not in an overwhelming way, but in an incredibly warm way.

"Well I… I was here when you were a baby." Punk explained, "And then I had to go away. It was… work." Punk said, "And I had to leave you and your mother."

"Do you shoot the bad guys too?" Nova asked.

"What?" Punk shook his head.

"Mommy shoots the bad guys." Nova said, "Boom. Boom. That's the sound the gun makes. Mommy shouts at me when I touch her gun." She rolled her eyes.

"Guns are dangerous." Punk nodded, "Even dangerous if you don't-"

"Know how to use it. Yeah, yeah." Nova nodded, "She says that too." She rolled her eyes as Punk smiled.

"But yeah, me and mommy have the same job, well… almost the same. Mommy is a lot smarter than me." He nodded, "But… I finally got to come home now, and I don't have to leave again."

"I didn't think I had a daddy." Nova admitted, watching Punk toss the two cooked pancakes onto a plate, pouring in more mix, "Some of my friends have daddy's, but some don't." She explained.

"I'm not leaving again, kid." Punk looked down at her, "I don't have to go anywhere." He said.

"You came like a prince." Nova giggled as Punk smiled.

"I don't know about that." Punk said modestly as she nodded.

"Like the movies I watch. Have you saw Enchanted? That's my favourite. She sings to the animals but then she eats the apple from the witch and she almost goes asleep forever." Nova explained in a rush as Punk tried to keep up, watching as she began to take plates over to the table, "Did you bring a horse?"

"What?" Punk shook his head.

"A horse." Nova said, "Princes have horses. They're normally white but brown is fine too." Nova nodded as Punk laughed lightly.

"Just a car I'm afraid." Punk said, "I'll work on the horse thing, though." He nodded, flipping the pancakes over, "Why don't you go wake mommy? Tell her we've made pancakes." He said as Nova nodded, rushing away to the bedroom to wake AJ as Punk listened to her waking her up from the kitchen with a smile. This was all he'd ever wanted for four long years, he just wanted to be with his family.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming. Still not smooth sailing from here. Lots of ups and downs still to come so stay tuned!**


	19. Zoo

**Zoo**

* * *

"She really likes the monkeys, huh?" Punk smiled later that day at the zoo, standing with AJ whilst Nova stood at the fence where the monkeys were behind, picking at each other, eating banana's and swinging from the vines.

"They're her favourite." AJ smiled, "We come here for her birthday every year. She never wants a party. Just… the zoo." AJ nodded as Punk smiled.

"You think she's used to it just being… you and her?" Punk turned to her as she looked up at him.

"Well she's bound to." AJ said, "It has just been me and her for four years." She said, "But that doesn't mean she won't adapt to… having you in her life. This morning seemed to go well didn't you think?" AJ asked him as he nodded.

"Yeah, but I don't know if she thinks I'm just a guest in her house, you know." Punk said as AJ nodded, "How long has she known how to make pancakes?" Punk asked curiously as AJ laughed lightly.

"I taught her a while ago. She picked up on it first time." AJ nodded, "But she knows not to go near the stove." AJ said as Punk nodded, "Look, don't worry about her being weary of you still, she's little, she's not used to you being here but she will." She nodded, "You both just need some time. We all do." She nodded.

"I keep forgetting how much I've missed of her life." Punk shook his head, watching Nova as she stood at the fence watching the monkeys happily.

"Don't keep reminding yourself." AJ said, "You're here now. We pick up from here and we move forward." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, I know." Punk nodded, "It's just going to take some time." He said as AJ nodded. The more they accepted that time was on their side now, the better. Punk knew he couldn't keep drilling it into his mind that he had missed so much of his daughter's life. He had to stay positive and think about all the good that was still to come. He knew there was still a relationship and a trust to develop with Nova, but he was going to do every he could to have her comfortable with him in her life.

"Ok, let's go!" Nova walked back over to them, "Can I go to the park now?" She tugged at her mother's side as AJ looked down at her with a smile.

"Yeah, ok." AJ nodded, "Can you have a drink first? It's warm out here and you've not had a drink since breakfast." AJ said as Punk smiled. She really was a great mother. He felt a little out of touch. Like his dad skills had left him, but he knew it was because he hadn't really been using them. The last time he cared for Nova was when she was still in diapers and had to sit on a high chair to be fed.

"But I'm not thirsty." Nova explained as they walked down the pathway to the little park which was inside the zoo for people to have picnics in around the little benches that were sitting.

"Maybe you're not but you'll get a headache." AJ said, taking out the bottle of water from her bag that she had brought with her, "Here." She opened it up and handed it to Nova who forced herself to take a small drink, handing it back to her mother as they entered the park.

"Can I go?" Nova asked her as AJ nodded.

"We'll be sitting here, ok?" AJ told her, pointing to the bench they were approaching as Nova nodded and ran off to the swings and the other park equipment.

"You got anything else in that bag of tricks?" Punk asked, taking a seat on the bench beside her as she smiled, sitting her bag beside her.

"Nothing of your interest, no." AJ smiled up at him, watching as he was watching Nova around the park as she swung on the swings and went down the chute, "I never thought I'd get to take her to the park with you." She shook her head, still not believing that he was here, she felt like she had to pinch herself sometimes, to make sure it wasn't a really long dream she was in.

"Still doesn't feel real that I'm here, huh?" Punk turned to her as she nodded.

"I think it'll stay with me forever. That shock." AJ said, "Having to try so hard to… get used to you not being here, and then for you to come back like this." She shook her head, "You should never have been taken away. Homeland should have been contacted immediately and you should have recovered in hospital and came home to us." She said.

"I know." Punk nodded, "But there's no point in… talking about what should have happened." He said, "It's done now. I'm home now." He said as she nodded, leaning into him comfortably as he looked down at her, "Were you with anyone else?" He asked her out of the blue as she lifted her head. He'd assumed she wasn't, but he knew that was wrong of him to assume.

"Do you think I was with someone else?" AJ asked him.

"No but if you were, I'd understand." Punk said, "If I really was dead, I would have wanted you to… find happiness with someone else, if you could." He nodded.

"I had nothing to give anyone." AJ said, "I barely left the apartment. I wasn't interested in anyone else." She said, "So no… the answer to your question is no." She said, "Were you?" She countered as he raised a brow.

"No." Punk said, "I was locked in a house for four years." He said, "But even if I wasn't, I knew you were still out there, and you were still mine, whether you knew it or not." He said as she smiled.

"I always felt like something was never right." AJ admitted, "I felt like I should have really felt that you were gone, but I never did. I thought I was just in shock all this time, but… I really didn't feel like I'd lost you completely." She said, "I convinced myself it was because I had Nova, and she was so like you, and that you were with me through her in a way." AJ said, "But you really were out there." She nodded.

"Mhm." Punk nodded, turning back and watching Nova climb the monkey bars, "She's strong." He noticed, "Is there anything she can't do… she can cook, she can do math, she can climb monkey bars." He exaggerated as AJ smiled.

"She's not a very good singer." AJ said as Punk smiled.

"She's probably tone deaf like me." Punk laughed, "So what did I really miss? Anything I should know desperately?" He asked.

"Uh…. Well, nothing that exciting happened." AJ admitted, "I was writing to my mom for a little while." She said.

"How is she?" Punk asked.

"She's doing good, yeah." AJ nodded, "She's happy in the home. She's got friends. She doesn't feel so much like a prisoner anymore." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"That's good." Punk said.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "Obviously you know Rocky got married, Seth and Eve had a baby." AJ explained, "Nova broke her arm last year, I didn't put that in the scrap book." She smiled as he laughed a little, "She fell down the apartment stairs. Split her head open too." AJ nodded, "I was a mess."

"I would be too." Punk admitted, feeling sick at the thought, "How is she at school?" Punk wondered.

"She likes school." AJ nodded, "I was shocked when I took her on her first day. So many kids were just screaming, clinging to their mom's legs, begging them not to leave them." AJ said, "Nova was quite happy to go." She smiled to herself.

"She seems brave." Punk nodded.

"Oh, she is." AJ said, "If she ever falls she's more likely to cry about ripping her jeans than crying about the huge cut she has made on her knee." AJ shook her head as Punk chuckled. It felt odd for her to have to tell him all of this. He should have been here to experience these past four years with her, but all she could do was tell him about what went on.

They both watched as Nova eventually ran over to them, "Can I have an ice-cream now? Please?" Nova asked.

"I guess so." AJ smiled, turning to Punk, "Why doesn't daddy take you over to the van?" She asked her as Punk turned to AJ.

"Ok, but we need money please." Nova extended her hand out to her mother who nodded, grabbing out her wallet and handing her the money.

"You want anything?" Punk asked her.

"No, I'm ok." AJ nodded to him, watching as he took a deep breath and turned to Nova. She didn't like to see him so nervous around Nova. She remembered how great he was with her as a baby, and how much he attended to her like it was second hand nature. Now he seemed stiff and awkward around her, but that was only natural.

"Ok, c'mon." Punk nodded to Nova who reached out and grabbed his hand, not giving him a choice as AJ watched with a smile as they walked over to the van across the park, "So what ice-cream do you like?" Punk asked her.

"Some days vanilla, some days strawberry." Nova skipped beside him holding his hand.

"They're kinda boring, don't you think?" Punk asked her.

"No!" Nova exclaimed, "They taste nice and I like them." She told him as he nodded, "What do you like?"

"Mint." Punk told her, "I guarantee you'll like it." He said as she looked up at him curiously.

"Well if I don't will you buy me another one?" She asked as they approached the van, nervous incase she didn't like the ice cream that was being recommended.

"Ok." Punk nodded, "Deal." He said as he got her an ice-cream cone with mint chocolate chip on it, handing it down to her once he paid for it as they stepped aside so she could taste it.

"It's a nice colour." Nova observed as Punk nodded, "I'm scared." She admitted.

"Why?" Punk chuckled, "It's not going to hurt you." He said as Nova held the cone carefully, tasting the ice-cream on it as Punk watched her.

"Oh." Nova nodded, "That's nice." She said, taking another bite, "I like it." She smiled to him happily as he smiled.

"I knew you would." Punk smiled.

"Can I go show mommy?" She asked him desperately with excitement as Punk nodded.

"Be careful." He told her as she ran off back to her mother, explaining to her about her new favourite ice-cream as he watched with a smile.

* * *

Later that night, AJ and Punk got in from a long but great day at the zoo. Nova had a great time, and although Punk wasn't being too hands on with her, she enjoyed his company and his recommendation of ice-cream flavours. It might have been hard, but going slow and easing into his old life again was the best thing he could do.

AJ still bathed Nova herself and put her to bed. Punk knew those things would take time, and it did upset him to have to hold back, but he knew he just had to have a little patience.

He and AJ wound up in bed later that night. They couldn't take their hands off of one another. After being apart for so long, who could have blamed them.

Punk lay behind AJ, thrusting into her from behind where her back rested against his chest. He cupped her breast and kissed her neck whilst thrusting into her, taking in every single second they had. They had always been sexually close, and nothing had changed there, if anything things felt even more intense and more pleasurable because of how long they had gone without one another.

"Fuck, April… you're so tight." Punk moaned as she grabbed the bed sheet in front of her, feeling him hit off her g-spot continuously as she backed into his thrusts. He knew exactly what she wanted, what she liked and how to set her off, that hadn't left him one bit. They fit right back into each other.

"Don't stop." AJ begged, cupping her hand behind her onto his cheek whilst he cupped her breasts, thrusting so hard into her that she was almost shifting away, taking hold of her waist to keep her in place, "Baby, just like that… you're gonna make me cum." She moaned breathlessly. She'd missed this escape and this release. Where they could close their bedroom door over and just get lost in each other. She'd missed that. She'd needed it for four years.

"I want you to cum." Punk whispered in her ear, "Cum for me." He said, tangling his hand over and rubbing her clit as she rolled her head back, knocking against his chin as she moaned and gasped, suddenly hearing her cell ringing on the night stand, but they both ignored it, neither were willing to give up their moment.

"Right there! I'm gonna cum." AJ moaned, gripping his arm as she felt herself reach her release, moaning loudly and shuddering as she leaned back into his body, feeling her release dampen the bed sheets below her whilst Punk continued to thrust into from behind, smiling as she heard him groaning, "Cum inside me. I wanna feel it." AJ whispered as Punk finally found his own release, spilling himself inside her as she moaned along with him at the feeling of his seed inside her, filing her up as she smiled to herself, feeling him roll over onto his back whilst she reached over and grabbed her phone from the bedside table.

"It was Dean." AJ turned to him as he wiped his forehead, "Should I call him back?" She asked as Punk nodded, watching her lay on her back as she raised the phone to her ear.

He shuffled back onto his side beside her, certain fingertips finding their way back to her wet centre as she smiled, feeling him stroke her clit as she tried to push his hand away so she could concentrate on the call, but every time she pushed his hand away, he just moved it back onto her.

"Hey, Dean. What's up?" AJ asked once Dean answered, placing her hand on her forehead as Punk began kissing her neck and stroking her clit, trying her best to not show any heavy breathing or moaning to poor Dean on the phone, "Mhm." AJ nodded as Dean spoke through the phone, "What do you mean?" She shook her head, sitting up in bed, snapping out of it whilst Punk took his hand away for real this time and watched her curiously, "Ok, we'll be right there." AJ said, "Ok, bye." She hung up as Punk shook his head with confusion, "We need to go to the station."

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	20. Caught In Action

**Caught In Action**

* * *

AJ and Punk quickly got clothes on, and AJ lifted Nova from her bed, putting her in the back of the car as they sped off to the station. It was too late to call Dan to drop her off, so they had to take Nova with them.

"You got her?" Punk asked as AJ lifted Nova out of the car, walking around the car.

"Yeah, I got her." AJ nodded as they walked into the station, "Marie." AJ walked up to the reception as Marie stood up from the desk, "Could you keep an eye on her?" She asked.

"Of course, honey." Marie nodded, walking out from behind reception, "Here, put her down over here." Marie said, leading AJ over to the cushioned chairs that ran all the way along the wall at the main entrance, "I'll stay with her." Marie assured her as AJ lay Nova down on the soft chairs.

"Thank you." AJ nodded sincerely, walking back over to Punk as they headed on through the station in a rush, pushing by some uniformed officers as they found Seth, Dean and Rocky standing in one of the boardrooms, walking on in and shutting the door over behind them.

"What the hell is going on?" Punk asked, "Is it true?" He shook his head as Seth nodded.

"Yeah, it's true." Seth said as AJ placed her hand over her mouth, walking over to the table whilst Punk ran his hand through his hair, "He went along with some of the agents from the DHS, there was a gun war and… he got a bullet." Seth nodded whilst AJ pulled out a seat, sitting down at the table before her legs gave way.

"Why did he go?" Punk shook his head with a sigh.

"He felt guilty." Rocky said, "He told me yesterday, he said he felt guilty for everything that happened. And he wanted to be as much help as he could." He nodded, "He felt guilty for agreeing to everything, and he wished he'd just given up his job when Carter threatened him." Rocky said, "I can only imagine he insisted going along with the other agent's tonight was because… he felt it was his war to end."

"Fuck." Punk spat, placing his hands on his hips and taking a deep breath.

"He treated us like kids." Dean sighed, "He was good to us." He said, looking over at AJ who sat with her shaking hands over her face. They weren't shaking with fear or sadness from what he could see, but it looked like she was about to erupt.

"Has his family been notified?" Punk asked.

"Yeah, his wife and kids have been told." Seth said, "The good news is, homeland have a run on things, they got Billy." He said as Punk nodded, glancing over at AJ who continued to sit with her face in her hands.

"AJ." Punk said softly as AJ stood up quickly, the chair falling over behind her, watching as she slid all the papers that were on the table off onto the floor, screaming in a cry as she done so, moving over to the computer desk as she threw the computer onto the ground, pulling the cables.

Punk nodded for the guys to leave who wanted to stay and help but figured it was best they left. They shut the door over behind them, cursing at everyone who was standing around listening in.

"April." Punk rushed over to her, "April." He said louder as she continued to destroy everything she could get her hands on, "April, c'mon." Punk sighed, holding her around her shoulders to try and calm her down as she cried loudly. He'd never saw her like this. It was like she'd just snapped. Like someone had just cut a thin piece of thread and sent her off into a frenzy. She was gasping for air and struggling against him, continuing to cry as he forced her into his chest as she began to relax herself and lean into him.

"It's gonna be ok." Punk whispered, "It's gonna be ok, baby." Punk sighed, kissing her head as she cried achingly into him. It was a painful cry. A 'why is this happening again' cry. Punk felt like it on the inside but wanted to keep himself together, "Let it all out." Punk nodded as he hugged her tightly in the destroyed room.

* * *

Dean wound up taking AJ and Nova home. AJ didn't want to be around many if not any people, and wanted to go home with Nova. It was times like this, where she hated her job and wanted everyone in it to disappear. Punk wanted to go home with her, worried about her after her emotional breakdown, but she assured him once she'd calmed down she'd be ok.

Punk stayed behind at the station with Seth and Rocky to explain to everyone what officially had happened. Someone had to.

"Alright, listen up." Punk said as everyone had gathered in the one spot, "It's… 3am, I know we're all tired." Punk nodded, "If you haven't already been told or found out… I have some news. Bad news." Punk nodded, "Our commissioner, who worked here for as long as we all have probably… he was shot tonight." Punk told them, "And he didn't make it." He bowed his head, trying to keep himself together. It was never easy to address a death in the station, but especially Walter's. A man they all considered as a father figure. A man who was willing to give anyone a chance, no matter who they were.

"It's never easy to lose an officer." Seth spoke up after noticing Punk freezing a little, "But to lose Walter… it's a sad night." He nodded as some people wiped their tears away, some just hanging their heads with sorrow, "He was a good man who saw something brilliant in every single one of us." He nodded, "And he died protecting these streets. Don't ever forget that." He said as they all nodded, "Funeral plans will be announced whenever we hear about them. Right now, let's just… keep his family in our thoughts and remember what a great person and asset he was to this station." Seth said as they nodded in agreement.

They all broke away sadly, leaving Punk, Seth and Rocky standing.

"Do Homeland really have a run on things or are they just saying that?" Punk asked them both.

"No, they got a clean wipe tonight." Seth nodded, "And they've got people in France too with a lead on things over there. Things are clearing up." He assured them, "And they got Billy alive, which is what we wanted." He said as Punk nodded.

"One more person just had to get hurt though, right?" Punk shook his head, "He gave us a chance when no one else would." Punk said.

"He was a good man." Rocky sighed, "You should get home to April. I'm… worried about her." Rocky admitted as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, me too." Punk admitted truthfully, "He really thought a lot of April. A whole lot." Punk sighed, "Believed she was the best before she did." Punk shook his head.

"He was a big part of her career." Seth nodded, "He was for all of us."

"Fuck." Punk sighed, rubbing his face sadly, trying to rub out the tears that were welling in his eyes. It was a sad day for their station, and for all of them personally. Walter was a good man who believed in all of them and all of their unique talents. He may have had to agree to certain things he didn't want to, but in the end, he went out fighting. He wanted to make a difference in all of this. It just didn't work out in his favour.

* * *

Punk left the station shortly after, getting home to the apartment, tossing the keys over onto the table and wandering off into the bedroom where he expected AJ to be. He knew that Walter was always a father type figure in her eyes. He was the closest thing to a father she'd ever really had, and he was no longer here. They were all hurting, but he knew AJ hurt in a different way. She either lost herself too much like she did at the station, or she shut everyone out.

After not seeing her in the bedroom, he walked through to the bathroom that was in their bedroom, opening up the door and pausing as he saw her sitting down on the shower floor with no clothes on. She looked like she had been having a shower and just gave up and sat down.

"Ape." Punk said softly, opening up the shower doors as she looked up at him, hugging her knees, "Hey." Punk sighed, "Are you ok?" He asked her as she just shook her head.

"No." She choked sadly as Punk sighed, grabbing a towel from the shelf, extending his hand down to her as she took it and stood up, feeling him wrap the towel around her and help her out of the shower, "He was a good person." AJ sighed, curling into his chest with the towel wrapped around her as he nodded.

"I know he was." Punk nodded, "He… He went out fighting."

"He went out feeling guilty, Phil." AJ looked up at him, "He felt guilty for all of this, for you going away, for things being left so long. And he shouldn't have." She cried.

"I know he shouldn't have, baby." Punk nodded, hating to see her cry, drying her tears as she rested her head back on his chest, "He knows how much we all loved him, and how much we appreciated him, and everything he done for us." Punk said.

"He believed in me." AJ whispered sadly as Punk nodded, "Before I believed in myself."

"He believed in all of us." Punk nodded, "And he's not going to be forgotten." He said as AJ sighed.

"When is all of this going to end?" AJ asked him, and for the first time ever, Punk saw something inside her that he'd never saw before. Normally, she was desperate to know the ins and outs of a case, and wanted updates every day, but now she just wanted it over, she wanted it finished. She didn't want any part of it, all she wanted was for it to be over.

"It'll be over soon." Punk sighed, kissing her wet hair softly, holding her tightly, "It's going to be over soon." He said. Tonight they'd both lost a mentor in Walter, a good man, a man who kept the station together, a man who cared about his officers. Tonight was a sad night for them.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	21. Just Daddy

**Just Daddy**

* * *

Punk managed to help AJ fall asleep after she got into some pyjamas and out of the bathroom. He lay beside her, talking to her, soothing her, doing anything he could to help her fall asleep. AJ took all advantage of him being here for her. She'd gone four years without him, where in situations like this, she was all alone, and had to depend on herself to keep herself going, but now he was here, she felt like she had something, someone… to lean against now. She believed that's why she snapped at the station. Because she knew she had him to fall back onto.

Once Punk saw she was fast asleep, he left her side, tucking the covers around her and leaving the bedroom, closing the door over quietly and making his way over to the kitchen table.

He wanted to make a few phone calls to figure out what was going on. He called the main agent, Agent Matson who was directing the full thing and who was a very high ranked agent in the department of homeland security. He got a run down on things with him, trying to speak in a quiet voice as Agent Matson explained everything that had gone down. Things seemed to be positive, even though they had lost Walter.

He then called Dean who had an update on what was going on in France. Things did seem a little rough around the edges with who they had caught, but so far was so good, and people's lives were being saved.

He continued to make other phone calls to other people, taking some notes on a small notepad at the table until he heard a door squeak open, looking up as he watched Nova standing at her bedroom door rubbing her eyes.

He hung up with whoever he was talking to, putting his phone down as he looked across at her standing in purple pyjamas with monkeys on them, of course.

"Hey, sweetheart." Punk smiled to her as she began to wander over to him, "You ok?" He asked her softly. Her little face made everything seem ok.

"Why aren't you sleeping? You sleep here now?" Nova asked him tiredly, sitting up on the chair across from him as he watched her.

"Yeah, I sleep here now." Punk nodded to her truthfully, not seeing the point in tiptoeing around her, "I was just… finding it hard to sleep." He told her as she nodded, "Why aren't you sleeping?" He reversed the question.

"You woke me up." She told him bluntly as Punk smiled a little, "But it's ok because I woke up thirsty anyway." She admitted.

"You want a drink?" He asked her as she nodded, "What you want?" He asked, standing up and walking over to the cupboard to grab a glass.

"Just water please." Nova said as Punk nodded, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and pouring some into a glass, not too much as he knew she wouldn't drink a ton.

"Ok, here you go, sweetheart." Punk sat the glass down on the table in front of her as she reached for it and drank the water almost like a shot to Punk's horror, "You were thirsty, huh?" Punk laughed a little, "You want some more?" He asked.

"No, that's fine." Nova nodded to him, "Why do you stay with us now?" Nova asked him curiously as Punk sat back down across from her at the table whilst she watched him with tired eyes. She believed this was her apartment where her and her mother stayed, and she didn't quite understand why Punk was now staying with them, even though she knew he was her father, "Do mommy's and daddy's stay together? Is that why you're here?"

"Not all mommy's and daddy's stay together." Punk nodded, "But me and your mommy do. In fact, this was my home before it was yours." He said as she giggled.

"No it wasn't." Nova laughed like he was insane.

"You wanna bet?" Punk chuckled, standing up and walking over to the sitting area where the scrap book was still sitting on the coffee table, lifting it up and walking back over with it.

"What's that? Is that a story?" Nova wondered.

"No, it's pictures." Punk said, "Look." He opened it up at the first page of when Nova was first born, in the hospital, "There's you, and me, and mommy." He pointed out as Nova knelt up on the chair and leaned over the table to look.

"Woah, I'm small." Nova shook her head, "Is that really me?" She asked him.

"It's really you." Punk nodded, "There's more." He flicked the pages forward, showing her more pictures, proving to her that he was here with her before, she just couldn't remember.

"Is that me and you?" Nova pointed to a picture of when she was around six months old, sitting on his lap in this very kitchen at the table.

"Yeah, that's us." Punk smiled.

"How come I look different and you don't." Nova asked with confusion.

"Well because you're growing up. I've already grown up." Punk explained, "You see, I was here with you and your mother before."

"Then why did you leave?" Nova asked him.

"I didn't want to." Punk said, "I had to go away." He said as Nova stared through him. She really was a miniature version of AJ, she was going to break hearts and possibly some faces when she got older, given the stare she was giving him.

"Are you always going to work like mommy does?" Nova asked him.

"Mommy works so you can have nice things." Punk said, "But I promise you, I'll be here whenever you need me, and I'm not going anywhere ever again." He promised as she sat back on the chair with tired eyes, still watching him closely. She was like a little detective, trying to scan him and get inside his brain, she could see it in her eyes already.

"Do you stay here forever now?" Nova wondered.

"If that's ok with you. Your mom tells me that you're the boss around here." Punk said as she smiled to herself.

"I am the boss." Nova giggled, "I guess you're cool. You like monkeys and pancakes." She shrugged as Punk smiled. She was still trying to figure this out just as much as Punk was. They were both learning about one another, and although it was slow, there was something beautiful about it that Punk was loving.

"I thought I was your prince too." Punk said.

"But you don't have a horsey." Nova folded her arms as Punk nodded.

"Uh… I have Ace." Punk pointed over to Ace who was snoring as he slept by the couch, watching Nova giggle contagiously. Her laugh was heavenly, and he wanted to hear it forever. She looked so adorable when she laughed.

"Ace isn't a horse." Nova laughed as if he was crazy to think that, "Ace is a doggy. You can't ride him." She shook her head, as if genuinely trying to advise him on not to ride Ace like a horse.

"Ok, I'll keep that in mind." Punk nodded, "But you know, we really gotta move on with the times, we don't use horses anymore. We got cars." Punk said.

"Then you're more like a superhero then." Nova nodded, "Like Batman. He has a car." She told him.

"You like Batman?" Punk asked.

"I like Wonderwoman actually." Nova said, "I dressed up as her this Halloween." She explained, "But mommy made me watch the Batman movies." She rolled her eyes as Punk chuckled to himself.

"So, what am I? Superhero? Prince? You gotta make up your mind." Punk said.

"You're just daddy." Nova smiled, "That's better than a superhero or a prince." She nodded as Punk smiled, feeling his heart swell. She really was a precious little flower, and she deserved protected at all costs, and he knew he would do anything for her. He knew this was confusing for her, and a lot to take in, but she was adapting to him in her life as good as he could have hoped for, and their love was already growing between one another, "Can you come tuck me back into bed, please?" Nova asked him tiredly.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'll be in, in a minute." Punk nodded to her, watching her jump off the seat and rush back into her bedroom across the room as he smiled. Things might have been distant still, but they were going in the right direction for sure. He already felt like he had a special place in her heart now.

* * *

The next morning, AJ woke up later, walking out of the bedroom where she saw Punk sitting on the sofa with Nova who was eating her bowl of cereal. Her favourite movie Enchanted was playing and she was sitting next to Punk explaining to him more information about the movie, as well as singing to all the different songs where Punk could identify that she definitely was tone deaf like him.

"Uh… good morning." AJ laughed a little, folding her arms as Punk and Nova turned around.

"Mommy! Hi." Nova waved, "Daddy's never watched Enchanted before so we're watching it right now."

"Oh, Nova. You've only saw the movie like one hundred times." AJ smiled a little.

"That's because it's my favourite." Nova smiled as AJ walked over to them. Yesterday was a rough day, and today she felt her shoulders heavy, like she didn't want to leave her bed, but this was the exact sight she wanted to see when she opened her bedroom door.

"It's not actually that bad." Punk turned to AJ truthfully, having almost finished the movie.

"I only watch it for Dr Dreamy." AJ smiled truthfully.

"Yeah, alright." Punk rolled his eyes as AJ laughed lightly.

"Have you had breakfast?" AJ asked.

"Shh, this is the good part." Nova told her mother, sitting her empty bowl of cereal on the coffee table and kneeling up on the sofa beside Punk, placing her hand on his shoulder to sturdy herself as Punk smiled, turning to AJ who nodded to him with a smile. He looked a lot less stiff today, and he looked extremely happy.

"Alright then." AJ laughed a little, taking Nova's empty bowl away and walking off into the kitchen to make herself some coffee.

She wasn't used to waking up and not having to quickly make Nova her breakfast or be up at the same time she was. It really was tough being a single mother, she loved her daughter and every second was worth it, but having Punk here now not only lifted her spirits, not only gave her daughter the father she always deserved to know and meet, but selfishly, it gave her a break.

"Look! Look this is where she eats the apple." Nova told Punk as AJ smiled from the kitchen, not even having to turn around and look to imagine how excited Nova was to be showing her father her favourite movie. It was things like this that Punk deserved to be a part of, and she could see he smile on his face.

"Would _you_ eat an apple off a little lady that looked like that?" Punk asked Nova as AJ laughed loudly from the kitchen, causing Punk to turn around and smile at her. Her laugh was just as angelic as Nova's.

"No. Mommy says I should never take anything from strangers." Nova said, "Right, mommy?" She turned around to her mother at the kitchen.

"Right baby." AJ smiled to her.

"That's right." Punk nodded, "In fact, don't even look at strangers." Punk said as AJ rolled her eyes but with a smile.

"We're missing this!" Nova tapped Punk, "Look, she's gone to sleep forever." She pointed to the TV as AJ turned around from the kitchen with a smile. She'd never woke up to such a beautiful sight. For the past four years, she'd woke up alone, just trying to make it through the day with nothing but her daughter to keep her going, now her family was back in one piece again, and although there was a war going on, and they had lost someone they both cared about, having each other right now, really meant the world.

* * *

 **A/N: The calm before more storm. REVIEW and let me know what you think!**


	22. Message

**Message**

* * *

The day of Walter's funeral came around a few days later. As far as AJ and Punk knew, Homeland were getting on top of things and CIA analysts were very much involved. Their main man, Billy Stone, was in custody but wasn't speaking to anyone.

For the past few days, Punk had been spending time with his family. He'd been bonding with Nova a lot easier now. He didn't feel as awkward and stiff, although things were still going slow. Nova still expected her mother to bathe her and put her to bed at night, but she was getting used to the idea of Punk being around already, and she really enjoyed teaching him and talking to him about all the things she loved.

Whilst they were at the funeral, Nova was with Dan. The turnout for the funeral was overwhelming. So many people showed up to pay tribute to an exceptional commissioner who loved his job and the officers he worked with and watched closely. It was a sad day for all who knew him.

Punk and AJ went back to his family home with a few other close family and friends, to pay further respect since they knew him on a more closer level. AJ, Punk, Seth, Dean and Rocky all went back to the house with a few other officers, just to show their face and let Walter's family know they were thinking of them.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Walter's wife, Andrea asked Punk whilst they stood in the kitchen, "I don't know where I put the-" She spoke to herself, looking around the kitchen rather lost as Punk watched her, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm ok." Punk nodded to her, "Why don't you take a seat. I'll pour you a cup of coffee." He told her as she nodded and walked over to the table. Everyone else was in the living room, and there were pots of tea and coffee set up in the kitchen with some cakes and sandwiches for people to help themselves. Punk noticed how lost the woman looked. He couldn't imagine how upsetting this was for her. He knew Walter loved his family a great deal. He always spoke about them.

"Walter used to make the coffee." Andrea nodded as Punk walked over to the table, sitting down the mug and taking a seat across from her at the table, "It just doesn't feel real with him gone." She shook her head.

"You're probably still in shock." Punk nodded, "I think we all are." He said, "He was… a great man. He loved his job and he done everything he could to keep a tight ship running around the station." He smiled as Andrea forced a smile.

"He thought a lot about you, you know." Andrea nodded, "You and April." She smiled, "He thought of you both as his own children, and he saw… so much in you both. He'd come home and talk to me about what you'd both done for the station every few weeks. He would not stop talking when you rescued those little girls who were abducted all those years ago. Or when April found her sister's killer." Andrea said, "He was so proud of you both." She smiled, "You should know how much he respected you both."

"We respected him." Punk nodded, "He was a good man, but he was an even better friend. To everyone." Punk said, "I mean, he gave me and Dean a chance when we… probably didn't deserve it. We showed up late. I had tattoos. Dean always showed up with hangovers. We probably didn't the chance we got, but he… he believed in us." Punk nodded as Andrea smiled.

"He did." She nodded, "And you should know that… he felt incredibly guilty for all of this going on. For… agreeing to send you away. He hadn't slept properly for four years thinking about it." Andrea said, "And now this…" She sighed.

"I spoke with him the day before he died. Me and April. And we told him not to worry about it. We've all been put out of our comfort zone with all of the shit that's going on. We told him there was no anger we had for him" Punk said, "But… I guess he still felt guilty." Punk shook his head.

"Well life is precious, Phil." Andrea nodded, taking a sip of her coffee, "I just hope all of this gets cleared up, and… and my husband died for something." She said.

"He died helping people, trying to save them." Punk said, "He'll be remembered for that." He nodded as Andrea smiled.

"Thank you for coming today." She slid her hand over and patted the top of his comfortingly, "It means a lot."

"He was a big part of my life." Punk nodded, "And if you need anything, any help with anything… you just call me." He said. He felt like it was the least he could do.

"Thank you." Andrea smiled softly.

* * *

Punk and AJ eventually left the house and headed to Dan's to pick Nova up. They wound up staying at Punk's fathers house for dinner, ordering in Chinese food. Punk was beginning to really feel like a family. It still felt surreal to be back, and to be with his daughter and girlfriend, but he was starting to feel a little bit of normality sweeping over them.

"Why aren't you eating your food?" Punk asked, sitting next to Nova who had adorably requested to sit beside him at the table. Little things like that was really making Punk's heart complete. She might not have been clinging to him, but she was accepting him, and that was all he wanted.

"I have a tummy ache." Nova sighed, rubbing her small stomach whilst AJ and Dan sat across, Dan laughing a little.

"Like the tummy ache you had the other day when I picked you up from school?" Dan questioned.

"No, a real one, grandpa." Nova sighed sadly as AJ frowned.

"Baby, did you eat too fast?" AJ looked across at her. They'd just got a few things to share and put on the table, and Punk had helped Nova put what she wanted on her plate, but something wasn't right with her.

"She's barely ate anything." Punk turned to AJ, "Do you feel sick or is it just sore?" Punk asked her.

"It's sore." Nova groaned, "I don't wanna eat anymore." She shook her head.

"You wanna go lie down in the living room?" AJ asked her as she nodded, "Ok, off you go. Hold a cushion next to you. That might help." She said as Nova slid off the chair and wandered off into the living room.

"Does she normally get stomach aches?" Punk asked. He still felt himself asking things about Nova, which hurt him since it was things he should have known.

"No, not often." AJ shook her head, finishing off dinner just the three of them. Dan still wanted to know more about what had gone on with Punk, so Punk spent most of the time explaining everything to him.

Once they finished dinner, AJ and Punk helped Dan clear away the plates and do the dishes whilst Nova lay in the living room watching TV, holding a cushion to her stomach. Punk kept checking in on her, completely paranoid as AJ smiled.

"We all get a little tummy ache every now and then." AJ smiled to Punk, "She's ok."

"I don't like seeing her sad." Punk frowned as AJ nodded.

"I know." She agreed, "We'll get her home and in bed. She could be coming down with something."

"I'm glad you stayed for dinner." Dan smiled. Simple things like having his son back to come for dinner was a dream come true. He thought he'd lost him forever, and to have him back was great. It really was the only family he had now. Mike was still in prison, Juliet hadn't been in contact for the longest time, and it had only been Nova and AJ he saw on the daily. Having his son back was indescribable.

"Me too." Punk smiled, "I just wanna get back to normal now." Punk nodded, "I have a meeting with the agent taking control of everything right now. I gotta let her know everything about Carter." Punk said.

"When is the meeting?" Dan asked whilst AJ wandered off into the living room to sit with Nova and check on her.

"It's tomorrow morning but Ape is taking the day off. She's not feeling too good after everything with Walter. She's taking a few personal days." Punk said as Dan nodded, "I just want it all over, you know. I feel like it's just dragging and dragging on." Punk sighed.

"It'll be over soon, son." Dan nodded, "You think they'll be able to arrest these fraud agents who took you into protection?" He asked.

"I hope so." Punk said, "What they done was illegal, but they work for the government, so… I'm not sure how it's gonna work." Punk shrugged, "It's not my job to track them down."

"And what about your job? When are you getting back?" Dan asked.

"As soon as I can." Punk said, "My main focus right now is just getting settled back at home, and… concentrating on Nova and April. They're my main priority." He nodded.

"She done great without you, don't get me wrong." Dean began, "But I can see how glad she is to have you back, and Nova's lucky to finally get to have you in her life, like she always should have had." Dan nodded, "You'll hold them even closer now, I bet." He said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, I know what it feels like to be without them and… it fucking sucks." Punk shook his head, "I just wanna hang low from now on and… concentrate on them." Punk nodded, looking through the door at Nova curling into AJ as AJ spoke to her softly, smiling at them both as his heart swelled. His girls were his world, and he'd do anything to protect them.

* * *

Punk and AJ eventually left Dan's after clearing up and letting Nova fall asleep so they could just carry her straight into her bed from the car. Punk was glad they stayed for dinner. He appreciated the family he had, no matter how little it was. He knew what it felt like to be without them, and he promised himself that would never happen again.

AJ lifted Nova from the car when they got out, walking with Punk into their apartment block. AJ had missed coming home with him. As simple and basic as it sounded, being able to walk home through the door with Punk by her side, and her daughter in her arms was the best feeling, but that feeling left her when they approached up the stairs to their apartment door, noticing a box outside their apartment.

"Phil." AJ sighed, looking up at Punk who gritted his teeth angrily, crouching down to the box and opening it up, getting ready to back away when he looked down.

"It's dead." Punk looked at the dead snake in the box, standing back up straight as AJ placed her hand at the back of Nova's head, holding her close as Punk looked down at her, "First one shows up alive, next one dead?" He asked.

"Someone is trying to send a message." AJ shook her head as Punk sighed, placing his hand at the side of her face as he pulled them into him, kissing AJ's head as she stared down at the box, keeping Nova close to her. This was clearly all far from over.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! Thanks for the reviews.**


	23. Intruder

**Intruder**

* * *

The next day, Nova wound up staying at home due to her stomach bug that she had. She was up through the night, and it was the first time Punk experienced her cuddling into him on the sofa. She normally wasn't that affectionate with him, but last night she really took comfort in him being there.

After having practically no sleep throughout the night, she had fallen asleep early hours of the morning in Punk and AJ's bed. Punk nor AJ could really sleep anyway, too busy thinking about who was still keeping their eye on them, and sending them boxes of alive and dead snakes.

"She ok?" Punk asked as AJ walked out of their bedroom, having been checking on Nova every so often.

"Yeah, she's still fast asleep." AJ nodded.

"Well she barely slept any last night." Punk said as she walked over to him and sat down on the sofa beside him.

"Yeah, and neither did you." AJ said, placing her hand on his arm, "Maybe you should go lie down for a few hours too." She nodded as Punk shook his head.

"No, I gotta know who sent that box." Punk said. They had called animal control obviously, even though the snake was dead, and then Punk called Agent Matson who was in charge of everything going on, to let him know about the second box that had been sent.

"I thought you said the box was from Carter." AJ said, "It makes sense for him to send another one."

"No, it doesn't make sense." Punk turned to her, "Carter will be in hiding somewhere. He's practically a wanted man now. He needs to lay low with his agents until this all blows over. He's not gonna risk anything by tormenting us. He knows he's already fucked up." Punk said.

"But who else is gonna send it?" AJ asked, "Billy Stone is being held in custody. He's our main guy." AJ said, "Most of the men involved have been caught, and the rest are probably all fleeing in cars, buses, trains… anything." AJ said, "So who is gonna send us that? Who has the time?"

"I don't know." Punk sighed, "What do we know so far?" Punk asked her, "Talk to me." He said, watching her stand up and walk off to grab her folders, things she had taken notes of when her and Rocky were secretly investigating things.

She walked back over to him on the couch, collapsing down beside him and spreading everything out on the coffee table.

"I thought you were taken off the case." Punk shook his head.

"Yeah, I was." AJ said, "When do I listen?" She turned to him as he smiled and nodded, "Ok, so far we know that Billy is our main guy. He takes in the money, he gives the orders, he's the boss." AJ said, beginning to categorise all the notes and pieces of paper as Punk watched. As cops, they knew that sometimes things could pop up that hadn't before.

"And we know that Tony joined this group, possibly after I shot him and knocked him back from going to college." Punk shook his head as AJ nodded, watching Punk grab Tony's picture, sitting it underneath Billy's folder.

"And when word got out that Tony killed himself, they all figured you were to do with it, and they came for you, and until a few days ago, they believed they'd killed you." AJ nodded, "All the while in the past four years, they've been smuggling drugs and ammunition illegally into the country, trading women, holding circuits of illegal prostitution and rape."

"Have we spoke to any of the women yet?" Punk asked, "Has anyone?" He said.

"Not that I know of." AJ shook her head, "Most are being treated in hospital. I assume Matson will be on to it."

"Ok, so all of that is going on with Billy and his group, Carter swoops in with his opportunity to keep this group, this secret… well, a secret." Punk said, "So he takes me in, fakes my death to everyone, tells me that I'm safe with him, and that if I go back I put everyone I love in danger, just to make sure that this crime doesn't become public."

"And where are we now?" AJ asked him.

"Billy is in custody. Carter is probably in hiding. Most of Billy's guys have been caught or the ones who got away will be running as fast as they can" Punk said, "So who the hell is in the woodwork?" He asked as she sighed, looking on at all of the papers on the coffee table.

"I have no idea." AJ shook her head as Punk sat back with his arms folded.

"How long can they hold Billy before they have to either charge or release him?" Punk asked her.

"I heard they have another forty-eight hour hold on him." AJ turned to him.

"Has he used his phone call yet?" Punk asked her.

"I don't know." AJ said, "You could call Matson and ask." She shrugged.

"He never fucking picks up." Punk said.

"Well he's got his hands full right now." AJ nodded, "Cut him some slack."

"I wanna know who he made a phone call too, and what he said." Punk said.

"Probably his wife." AJ shrugged, "He's just a normal guy, he's got a daughter in Nova's class." AJ said.

"He's not a normal guy, April. He's dangerous, and he's not gonna use the phone call on his innocent wife." Punk said as AJ sighed, taking her glasses off and running her hands over her face.

"I just want this over with." AJ told him truthfully, "I have never been so uninterested in my job, than what I am right now." She said truthfully as Punk looked at her in shock, "This is taking over our lives." She said.

"It's gonna be over soon." Punk nodded, placing his hand on her back.

"Really? Because it doesn't feel like it." She snapped, "How is it going to be over soon when people are sending us boxes with snakes in them, dead or alive, I don't really care." AJ said.

"Ape, it's a huge case. A big operation. We just gotta wait for it to blow over. You probably hate it because you can't do much." He nodded.

"Well then maybe we should do something." AJ turned to him, "If it speeds up the process."

"No, we're not gonna do that." Punk said, "For once in our lives, we can't… risk everything. Maybe ten years ago when we were young and had only our careers to focus on, but we have Nova." He said, "We can't go out getting mixed up in things we don't even know yet." He said, "She needs us here."

"We're probably in more danger sitting here than we are going out and doing something about it." AJ said.

"Doing something about what? We still don't know what the hell is going on yet." Punk said as she shook her head angrily, "You know I'm right. We've lost too much time to this shit." He said, "I'm not… I'm not losing anymore." He shook his head.

"Well I can't just sit here and wait for another snake to get delivered to my door." AJ said, "It's obviously a message. They send one that's alive, and then they send a dead one. Someone wants either me or you killed, and that is not something that I'm willing to wait to blow over." She stood up, running her hands through her hair as Punk watched her.

"Ok." Punk nodded softly, noticing how stressed she was getting, "Ok. I'm gonna go to the station and check up on Billy, see who he called, maybe even talk to him if I'm allowed." He shrugged, "You stay here with Nova." He nodded.

"Are you kidding me?" AJ turned to him as he stood up.

"I'm not going to be long, April." Punk said, "She's not well right now, she wants you with her."

"That's why she spent the entire night cuddling into you?" AJ folded her arms as Punk sighed, "Now that she's comfortable with you, don't run away from her." AJ shook her head.

"I'm not." Punk said, "It means everything to me that she's comfortable around me. I didn't expect her to be like this." He said, "I kept thinking about how long it took me to warm up to you, and I thought it'd be the same with her." He admitted.

"I wasn't five when you met me." AJ said as Punk groaned.

"Alright, I'm gonna go." Punk nodded. She was in a funny mood and not even his sweet comforting humour was helping him out. She was struggling, he knew that, having lost Walter, on top of everything else going on, he knew it was getting to her, that's why he wanted her to stay here with Nova. He wasn't trying to put her out in the dark.

Punk walked over to the table to grab his sweater as AJ watched him, watching him head for the door as she suddenly ran after him, spinning him around before he could leave the apartment and pressing a kiss on his lips softly as he sunk into the kiss with surprise.

She pulled back from the kiss, looking up at him as he shook his head.

"What was that for?" Punk shook his head. He could have sworn she was in a bad mood with him and wanted to be left alone.

"Just… come home to us, yeah?" AJ asked him. She couldn't stand to snap at him like that when she knew what it felt like to not have him here. She didn't take him for granted, and she wanted him to know that.

"I'm only going to the station." Punk smiled, cupping her cheek, grazing his thumb back and forth against the caramel skin.

"I know, but… just make sure you come back." She said as he nodded.

"Trust me, I will." Punk nodded, leaning down and kissing her forehead, leaving the apartment as AJ watched the door closed behind him.

* * *

"Hey, what are you doing here, I thought you were staying out of things?" Rocky asked once noticing Punk walk through the station.

"I was and then a dead snake was put outside my apartment in a box last night." Punk shook his head, "My only guess is that someone is still working for Billy, and I came in to see who he used his phone call on." Punk said, walking through the station with Rocky, "These guys still want me dead, right?" Punk shrugged.

"Most of them have been taken in, though. And the ones who haven't are probably running as fast as they can right now." Rocky said.

"Well that's what I thought too." Punk shrugged, bumping into Agent Matson.

"Phil, what are you doing here?" Matson asked.

"Do you know who Billy used his phone call on?" Punk asked him.

"He said a friend." Matson said, "I thought you were staying away for a few days."

"Did he tell you his friends name?" Punk asked.

"Look, last time I checked, I was in charge of all of this." Matson shook his head.

"Did he give you the friends name? Yes or no." Punk said.

"Yes. He said the name Marty." Matson said, "Not that it makes a difference."

"Don't you think you should be keeping a closer eye on this man, given what he's been doing for four years?" Punk asked.

"He's in custody. How much closer can we have him?" Matson said, "Why do you wanna know who he called anyway?" He asked, "You think he's telling people to keep a watch on you?"

"Well who else is, man? It's no secret they wanted me dead." Punk said.

"The best thing for you to do right now is stay away from everything. Let us clear this up." Matson said, "Go home." He nodded, walking by Punk and Rocky as Punk grunted.

"Well, I guess-" Rocky began.

"We're going to that cigar club." Punk said.

"He just said-"

"C'mon." Punk nodded, briskly heading back out of the station as Rocky followed, grabbing Dean from his desk on the way out too.

* * *

Later on, AJ was sat on the sofa watching cartoons with Nova. She was still feeling sick, but not as bad as she was through the night. She'd made some soup for her, and they'd spend most of the day on the sofa watching Scooby-Doo.

Nova was laying in between AJ's legs with the blanket over them, using her stomach as a cushion to lay her head on until suddenly there was loud banging coming from the apartment door that made both of them sit up. It wasn't someone knocking. It sounded like someone was trying to knock down the door.

"Mommy, who is that?" Nova asked tiredly as AJ got up frantically.

"Go to your room and don't come out until I say." AJ told Nova who looked up at her with confusion, "Now, baby. Go." AJ said as Nova ran off into her room and shut the door over whilst Ace was going around in circles anxiously.

AJ grabbed her gun from the drawer in the kitchen and walked over in front of the door, "Who is there?!" AJ yelled, listening as the banging suddenly stopped, "Who is it?!" AJ yelled, holding her gun up in front of her, listening as the banging began to start again, holding her gun even tighter as someone proceeded to kick down the door.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	24. In The Family

**In The Family**

* * *

 **A/N: This is sort of the big finale to the gang hunt etc, BUT the story will be carrying on so don't worry. REVIEW and let me know what you think. Enjoy.**

* * *

AJ stood still, holding the gun up as she watched as the door finally broke open, watching two men pause as they looked across at her. She didn't recognise their faces, and she didn't believe that they recognised hers. One seemed young, perhaps in his late teens, early twenties, and the other looked closer to her age.

"What do you want?" AJ spat, wondering why trouble always showed up on her doorstep, literally.

AJ watched as the two men walked further into the room, noticing them look over at all the paper work that was still out on the coffee table from her and Punk looking at things earlier. She gulped and watched as they walked over to it.

"So you're the detective that has been snooping around." One of them chuckled.

"And you're part of the group that's been involved with human trafficking and drug smuggling." AJ said, "It's a small word." She spat.

"It sure is." One of them nodded with a smile, "I'm Marty. This is Cash." He pointed, "You can lower your gun, sweetheart. We're not here to hurt you."

"Why are you here?" AJ spat, still keeping her gun pointed up.

"We're here for your boy." Cash said.

"Well too bad." AJ shook her head, "I know what you did to those women." AJ spat, "How can you live with yourself?" She spat.

"It was just a job." Marty shrugged, "We were just taking orders."

"Just a job? They're human beings. With rights." AJ spat, "You will never get out of prison after what you've done." She said, "Believe me."

"Are you done?" Marty asked, "Where is Phil?" He asked, walking back around the couch and closer to AJ, "We don't get all day, and this time, we need to make sure he's really dead. Not fake dead."

"Why do you want him dead? If it's to do with Tony-"

"Tony? You think that's why we want him dead? You think that's why our dad wants him dead?" Cash laughed as AJ looked across at them and shook her head.

"Your dad?" AJ shook her head, "Who is your dad?" She looked at them both as they both looked at one another and laughed.

"Wait… you don't know?" Cash shook his head with a smile, "Does Phil not know?"

"Know what?" AJ shook her head.

"Billy is Phil's dad." Marty said.

"And he's our dad too." Cash smiled.

* * *

"You came across anything?" Punk asked, he and Rocky checking out the cigar club which had obviously been closed and taped off. They managed to get in and have a look around thanks to one of the officers on watch around the area.

"No, Matson probably came here earlier and cleared everything out." Rocky shrugged, "Although, all these beer mats have snakes on them." Rocky held a pile of beer mats from the bar in his hand, "These guys have a thing for snakes, huh?"

"Probably because they can relate." Punk spat, "Any paper work lying around we could look at?" He asked.

"Uh… there's an office through here I think." Rocky said as Punk followed him by the lounge and into one of the offices, "Might be something here." He nodded as Punk walked around the computer desk, sitting down at it as he opened up drawers, noticing a picture frame on the desk of what he could see was Billy, along with two other men, and then there was the picture of the little girl that was in Nova's class beside it.

"He got two sons?" Punk said, lifting the frame and looking at it.

"I don't know." Rocky shook his head, looking around, "Maybe." He said whilst Punk's phone began to ring, noticing it was Garry the apartment block janitor.

"What the fuck." Punk shook his head, answering the call and standing back up, sitting the frame back down, "Garry?" Punk said.

"Phil, yeah…. Two guys just came through the apartment block. They were angry and they choked me out. I think they were heading for your apartment." Garry said as Punk hung up and immediately ran out of the office as Rocky followed with confusion.

"Hey, man. What is it?" Rocky shook his head, catching up to Punk as they ran out of the club, under the tape and back to their car.

"Two guys were heading to the apartment. Could be the friend that Billy called." Punk said, putting his foot down on the gas as he quickly drove to the apartment.

"Should we call for back-up?" Rocky asked him, "Nova and April are in the apartment." He said as Punk's heart was starting to beat rapidly fast the more he approached the apartment.

"Call for back-up, but tell them to stay put and stay low. I want answers from these fuckers." Punk said, eventually stopping outside the apartment block, barely letting the car stop before he jumped out and ran into the building, climbing the stairs three at a time until he reached their apartment where the door was kicked in.

He walked through and paused as he looked to his left and saw AJ in the grips of some man, another one standing by. He then looked closer and saw that it was the two men from the picture in the cigar club. He didn't hesitate to take out his gun and point it at them both.

"Let her go." Punk spat.

"If it isn't the man of the hour." Cash smiled, whilst Marty held AJ tight in his grasp, "We were just talking about you, and we didn't realise you had no idea who we are." He laughed.

"Let. Her. Go." Punk said slowly and quietly.

"Look, if we wanted to hurt her or kill her, it would have happened already." Marty said, "It really is tempting. If her mouth is as good at sucking dick as it is talking shit, you're a lucky fucking guy." Marty chuckled as AJ rolled her eyes, barely struggling, knowing that's what they both wanted.

"I'm just gonna shoot you both." Punk said simply, "So you either let her go and we have a chat. Or I kill you." He said. He wasn't focused on anything besides getting AJ as close to him as possible, and as far away from these two men as possible.

"Alright, here." Marty said, pushing AJ forcefully across as Punk grabbed her immediately, "We'll let you have her." He nodded, "It's you we were after anyway." He said whilst AJ stood beside Punk. She was never one to hide behind anyone, not now, not ever, and she was still trying to comprehend what she had just been told by these two men.

"Alright, what do you want with me? Your dad is Billy, right?" Punk asked, "You must be so proud." He said sarcastically.

"Oh, we are." Cash smiled, "We're just after telling April how alike we really are."

"You are nothing like me." Punk spat, "You're animals."

"Animals with the same dad as you." Marty said as Punk looked across at them, tilting his head a little with confusion, "We thought you knew all this time."

"What are you saying?" Punk shook his head.

"We're saying that you're part of the family." Marty smiled, "We're your baby brothers, Phil. And you got a baby sister too." He nodded as Punk looked at them like they were insane, "You gonna shoot us now?" Marty chuckled.

"They're lying." AJ shook her head, "Baby, let's just call back-up and get them away." AJ placed her hand on Punk's chest, but Punk stared at both of the men in front of him.

"I'm Marty." Marty smiled, "This is Cash. He's younger." He added as Cash rolled his eyes, "And Cheryl, she's five. She was a late surprise, I guess." Marty shrugged.

"You're Marty?" Punk shook his head, "Billy called you? You were the one he called?" Punk asked, barely being able to speak.

"Yeah, he told me to finish what we started. Just to make this clear, this has nothing to do with the girls we had working for us, or the drugs… that was our job… you're just a personal job we had." Marty smiled, "And we thought we got rid of you four years ago, but… obviously not. Here you are in the flesh." He nodded.

"If… If I'm your brother… why-why do you wanna kill me?" Punk shook his head.

"Well… you're a cop." Marty chuckled, turning to Cash as they laughed together, "You're everything we hate. You're everything dad hates."

"He is not my dad." Punk warned, "I got a dad, and he isn't sitting in custody right now."

"Look, we know it's hard for you to admit your mom got whored up and knocked up." Cash said, "But she did, several times, with our dad-"

"She said my dad died." Punk shook his head.

"Well obviously." Marty laughed, "Incase you haven't noticed, not a lot of people like our dad. And by our, I mean the three of us." Marty smiled as Punk gulped, "Sorry, April. Us brothers are just trying to bond here-"

"You are not my brother. Neither of you are." Punk spat, "Brothers don't try to kill each other."

"Well at first we were mad about Tony, he was a good friend to us and you killed him-"

"I didn't-"

"Yeah, whatever." Cash waved his hand, "And we were so tired of cops sniffing around-"

"So you thought you'd just shoot me?" Punk spat.

"Exactly." Marty smiled, "And then you rise from the dead like Jesus, and you destroy our entire lives. Our cigar club. Our-"

"Your illegal drug smuggling?" AJ asked, "Forcing women into prostitution. Raping women?"

"Oh, April please. Let us speak to our brother." Marty said as Punk flinched every time he heard that word. Brother. This couldn't be real. Maybe it made sense, but there was no proof.

"So you want me dead because I put your dad in prison?" Punk asked them.

"Our dad." Marty corrected him, "You're his oldest son. He expected more from you."

"This is ridiculous." Punk shook his head, "You're just fucking with me here." Punk said, "I don't… I don't have time for this, nor do I actually care. You guys are going to prison either way, so we might as well just speed it up." He said, grabbing his handcuffs from behind as Marty and Cash rolled their eyes.

"You really think we're lying?" Marty asked, "I wish we were. The shame of having a cop brother is… well, very shameful."

"You hate me because I stop people like you who break the law? Who hurts people? Who breaks people?" Punk spat, "You hate me because I do the right thing and you don't?"

"More or less." Cash nodded, "And you think you're better than us."

"I don't even know who you are! Either of you!" Punk shouted as AJ watched. She was just as shook and confused. She didn't know whether to believe it or not. It did seem to add up, but it just seemed so much to take in.

"Whether you know us or not, we came here to finish what we started. Bring this all full circle." Marty smiled, taking the gun from his back pocket as both Punk and AJ got ready.

Punk launched himself into Marty before he could pull the trigger, and AJ took care of Cash, grabbing her gun that was on the floor and smashing it against his head as he fell to the ground.

Punk got violent with Marty as they rolled around on the floor. He wound up on top of him, continuously punching him over and over again, the sound of his knuckles crashing off Marty's nose filled the air as AJ tried to pull him off, all the while Nova watched through a small gap in her door.

"Phil, c'mon!" AJ yelled, grabbing Punk who eventually paused his actions and got to his feet. So much was going through his head, and he refused to let anything happen to him or his family. That wasn't going to be their ending, and he didn't care if these boys were his half-brothers. They weren't in his eyes. Things were still super confusing.

"Rocky's downstairs." Punk told AJ who ran out of the apartment and called on Rocky who was waiting with back-up, getting the go ahead as they rushed up into the apartment and immediately got their hands-on Marty and Cash, all the while Punk and AJ stood trying to process all the information, and how something like this could really turn out to be so closed to home.

And then Punk looked up and saw Nova standing at her room door, watching her notice him looking at her as she quickly shut the door over.


	25. Back To The Beginning

**Back To The Beginning**

* * *

"What the hell was all of that?" AJ shook her head, turning to Punk in their apartment after Marty and Cash had been taken away. There was so much to process yet things seemed so simple to understand. Punk was just under the illusion that his biological father had died, and that was it, but he just so happened to be the world's biggest scum bag… of course.

"I don't know." Punk placed his hands on his hips and shook his head, "I don't wanna believe it." He shook his head.

"Don't believe it just yet-"

"April, they know things about me. They know that my dad… isn't really my dad. It makes sense." Punk nodded.

"What are you gonna do?" AJ asked him as Punk shook his head and sighed.

"I don't know." Punk said, "Nothing I guess." He shrugged, "They're all going to prison. What can I do?" He asked. He seemed a lot calmer than what she expected him to be, but she supposed he was used to so much going on right now. They all were.

"I'm gonna go see if Nova is ok." AJ told him, "Garry said he'd come up to fix the door soon." She told him as Punk nodded, taking a seat on the sofa as AJ walked off into Nova's room, opening up the door where the five-year-old sat in her bed reading a book, or looking at the pictures in the book.

"Hi, baby." AJ smiled as Nova looked up at her, "You ok?" She asked, sitting on the edge of the bed as Nova nodded, "You can come out of your room now." She said, cupping the little girls cheek softly as Nova just shook her head.

"Is daddy there?" Nova asked as AJ nodded, "Then I wanna stay here." She said as AJ shook her head.

"What? Why?" AJ asked.

"He hurted the man. And he was angry. And he was scary." Nova shook her head. Just as she was letting her father in, and he was becoming this superhero figure to her, she watched him angrily beat on another man, and that scared her, of course it did. She was still just a little girl at the end of the day.

"Oh, baby. He didn't mean to scare you." AJ shook her head, "He was protecting us." She nodded.

"But he scared me." Nova sighed, "I don't wanna see him." She shook her head as AJ sighed.

"He loves you and he didn't mean to scare you." AJ said, "He came to protect us. Like a superhero." AJ nodded, trying to win her round, but she wasn't budging.

"No, he was like the bad guy hurting people." Nova shook her head, "He was angry and I was scared." Nova explained as AJ just nodded. She understood her daughter, but she couldn't help feel upset how her opinions had now changed. She'd clearly saw the violence, and Punk was angry, but she didn't want Nova to think he was angry at her, or he'd ever be angry like that with her. Because he wouldn't be.

"Ok, baby. You can stay here and come out when you're ready." AJ nodded.

"I wanna go to bed." Nova shook her head, "My tummy still aches." She said, her lip quivering as AJ sighed. She hated that poor little face she made.

"Ok, mommy is gonna get you more medicine, you get into bed, ok?" She said.

"I wanna sleep in with you." Nova said, "Like we did before daddy came." She whimpered softly as AJ sighed. She hated this. She hated how many steps back they had all taken because of this revelation.

"Ok." AJ nodded to her, "You go on into my bed." AJ said, "And I'll bring you some medicine and a drink." She stood up from the bed as Nova got up too, taking her favourite teddy bear and running out of her room and into her parent's room. She'd never ran so fast, all so she didn't have to see her father, running quickly into their bedroom and shutting the door over as AJ sighed.

"Is she ok?" Punk asked, knowing fine well that she wasn't.

"No. She's just a little shaken up." AJ said. She didn't want to tell Punk what Nova had said. She knew it would break his heart, "She just… gets like me. She wants to be alone. And her tummy is still sore." AJ explained, walking across into the kitchen as Punk nodded.

"Can I go talk to her?" Punk asked.

"I don't think that's a very good idea." AJ said from the kitchen as she grabbed Nova's medicine and got her a drink, "It's best she just sleeps it off."

"She scared of me?" Punk nodded, knowing fine well she was, "I saw her looking from her room. She looked terrified." He looked down with shame.

"She's just not used to seeing so much violence, Phil. And you're… you're still a stranger to her." AJ reminded him as he nodded, "She should be ok in the morning. I'm gonna take another day off with her." She said as Punk just nodded, watching her disappear into their bedroom as he collapsed back on the sofa and sighed. Even with so much going on in his head, the one thing that was hurting him the most was the fact his daughter was now scared of him. He shouldn't have lost control like that, but he couldn't help it. He felt like they'd just erased all of the progress they had made as a family, and taken huge, gigantic steps backwards.

* * *

The next day, Punk woke up early, before AJ or Nova woke up, to make sure he got out of the apartment before Nova woke up. He didn't want to see her look terrified of him.

He'd slept on the couch after insisting AJ slept in with Nova. She needed her mother right now. Garry had come late last night to fix the door and as soon as the sun came up, Punk was out of the door like a flash.

He headed to the station to get an update on everything that was going on. He found Agent Matson at the front desk as he walked into the station.

"You had quite the night last night." Matson nodded as Punk just internally groaned, "We heard this dick might be your dad." He said as Punk nodded.

"Well it all looks like it, doesn't it?" Punk said, "What do you want? A strand of my hair to do some DNA tests?" Punk asked.

"Actually, yes." Matson nodded, "Don't you want to know?"

"Doesn't matter to me. I have a dad and it's not that man." Punk said.

"What if it is your dad?" Matson asked, "You got two brothers and a sister." He reminded him.

"The two brothers are just as bad as Billy. All three of them will die in prison. And… the little girl is Nova's age." Punk cringed as Matson nodded.

"Small world, isn't it?" Matson said as Punk nodded, "Well the good news is, we think we have all our guys. Some were armed and were shot in the process, but we got most of them in, and we've also figured out who our guys are in France. It's more or less coming to an end." Matson said.

"And Carter?" Punk asked.

"No leads on him yet but we'll stay on it. It might be a case where he just… fades away and we can never find him. Its what guys like him do. They'll move onto covering up the next big crime." Matson nodded, "He's not gonna try and hurt you or come back for you now, though. Trust me. He was never out to hurt you. He just wanted to do his job."

"He took my daughter." Punk shook his head, "The fucker better stay away if he knows what's good for him." Punk said, "Have you charged Billy yet?"

"We're about to." Matson nodded, "It's gonna be a long process, but hopefully we can speed it up as much as we can so we can have this station running back to normal again." Matson said as Punk nodded.

"I can't remember the last time anything felt normal." Punk shook his head.

"Well you've been dead for four years." Matson patted his back, "I can understand how disoriented you feel." He nodded, "Best to ignore Billy right now, and his two sons. Just focus on getting back to your life now. They're not going anywhere besides prison."

"I don't even think I want to speak to him. He's not… He's not my dad." Punk said, "He might be biologically. But he's not my dad." Punk shook his head as Matson nodded.

"My parents got divorced when I was really young." Matson began, "My mom remarried right away and my step-dad always done the school run, helped with the homework, taught me how to ride a bike, took me places, and… whenever I saw my dad he'd just… ignore me." Matson nodded, "I began just calling my step-dad, dad. It was nothing to do with blood. You know who your family are." He nodded, "And you don't have to be blood." He said as Punk nodded, "The good thing is, this is all wrapping up, so hopefully you can move on."

"Hopefully." Punk sighed, "We're gonna need a new commissioner for this place when things get back to normal." Punk said as Matson smiled and nodded.

"Mhm." Matson said, "Well I'm sure there's a few people worthy of the spot." He nodded as Punk didn't even catch on. His mind was too busy thinking about other things, "I better get back to these scumbags. You need anything else?" Matson asked as Punk shook his head, "Oh, and the snakes, that was Marty and Cash. You were right. Billy called Marty and told him to finish what he'd started. They all have a snake tattoo on their inner arm. And that seems to be their cigar club trademark." Matson shrugged.

"Makes sense." Punk nodded, "You really want a strand of my hair?" Punk asked.

"I don't need it right now, but soon. It's for you, to figure out if he's your dad." Matson said, "These fuckers might be just… making it all up." He shrugged as Punk nodded.

"Ok, I'll come in, in a few days to sort it out, once all of this has been wrapped up." Punk said, "Just keep me updated on things, yeah?" Punk asked.

"I will." Matson nodded, "You get out of here." He patted Punk on the shoulder as Punk nodded, leaving the station to head back home.

* * *

Punk got home late afternoon, walking into the apartment as he saw Nova sitting on the couch whilst AJ was in the kitchen. Nova quickly looked to see who it was and then once noticing it was him, she turned straight back around, not even acknowledging him.

"I uh… I brought some lunch." Punk said, walking into the kitchen as AJ smiled.

"What'd you get?" AJ smiled. She knew the best thing she could do right now, was show her daughter that her father was not a bad man at all.

"Just some sandwiches." Punk nodded, turning to look at Nova who was keeping her eyes on the TV.

"Nova, you wanna come get some lunch, baby?" AJ said as Nova ignored her.

AJ just shrugged to Punk who nodded. He didn't want to be pushy with Nova. If she had to go in a little bubble away from him for a few days then he'd let her, it would just kill him in the process that was all.

"I spoke to Matson." Punk said, "Turns out the guy is human." He nodded, feeling a tiny bit better after talking to Agent Matson, "He's gonna do a DNA test for me, to see if it's really true. But nothing changes." He assured her.

"I know." AJ smiled, "Nothing would have ever changed. You have your dad. These men are just strangers and that's it." AJ nodded to him.

"Yeah." Punk said, "He said they're getting close to wrapping things up now, so hopefully things will be returning to normal at the station soon." He said as AJ nodded, taking the sandwiches out of the bag, keeping her eyes on Nova.

"Nova, you have to come get your lunch." AJ said.

"No, I don't want to have lunch with him!" Nova turned to them, jumping off the couch and running to her room.

"Nova!" AJ shouted, dropping everything to go after her as Punk took a hold of her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"Just leave her." Punk nodded, "Just leave her." Punk sighed as AJ looked up at him. She could see the pain in his face. Nova normally wasn't that vocal or rude, and AJ was upset that she said what she had said, but the little girl was still frightened, and they both had to understand that. Has hard as it was.

"She doesn't speak to people like that." AJ shook her head.

"She's scared." Punk said, "I just gotta… retrace my steps. Start back at the beginning." He nodded.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	26. Your Family

**Your Family**

* * *

"Ok, baby. Head back." AJ said, later that night as she knelt down by the bath that Nova was in, rinsing the shampoo out of her hair. It had been an off day for everyone. Nova still had her tummy ache and could barely stay in the same room as Punk. Punk had barely said anything all day, and she felt stuck in the middle.

"Where is daddy?" Nova asked her mother.

"He left to go walk Ace." AJ said.

"Does he have to stay with us?" Nova asked as AJ sat down the jug she was using to rinse out her daughter's hair.

"Nova, he's your father." AJ said, "And he loves you more than anything in the world. He's never ever going to hurt you." AJ said, "Why are you so afraid of him, baby?" AJ shook her head. She didn't think Nova would be this shaken up.

"He was scary." Nova said whilst touching the bubbles around her, not making eye contact with AJ.

"I know." AJ nodded, "I was scared too." She said as Nova looked up at her, "But he was protecting us. He wasn't trying to hurt us." She said, "I have known him for years and years and years." AJ exaggerated, "And he has never hurt me, not once." AJ said, "And he won't hurt you either." She said. But she knew Nova was going to think what she wanted to.

"But you don't get scary like that." Nova said, "You don't hurt people like that. Hurting people is bad." Nova shook her head, "And daddy hurted that man." She sighed as AJ nodded.

"That man was a bad man." AJ said, "He came here to hurt daddy, and so daddy had to protect himself and us." She said, "Mommy and daddy sometimes have to fight the bad men and women out there, baby." AJ said, "That's our job."

"My friend Ashley's mom works in Target." Nova looked at AJ with confusion, "Can't you work in Target?" She huffed, "Bad men don't come to her house."

"I know, baby. Trust me. Sometimes I've thought about it." AJ smiled, "But mommy and daddy love their job. We've been doing it for so long, and we do it to make sure people like you and innocent people out there don't get hurt." She said, "And that's what daddy was doing last night." AJ nodded.

"He still scared me." Nova huffed, putting her foot down.

"You know, he's really upset that you're not talking to him." AJ nodded, "He thinks you don't love him anymore." She said as Nova sighed dramatically.

"He's just a stranger, mommy." Nova turned to her mother, as if trying to really get through to her.

"Baby, he's not." AJ shook her head, but in that moment, he really was a stranger to Nova. Maybe not to her, she'd known him for much longer, but he really was still a stranger in some way to Nova, and she kept forgetting that, "He loves you, that's all you have to know."

"Are you scared of him?" Nova asked curiously whilst AJ began to rub conditioner through her dark hair.

"No." AJ smiled, "I would never be scared of your father." AJ said, "And you shouldn't either. He loves us."

"But can't you be scared of someone who loves you?" Nova questioned as AJ paused. She might have been five, but she asked the right questions.

"Yeah. I guess you can." AJ nodded, "But you really don't have to be afraid of daddy. He loves you so much. He'd do anything for you." She said as Nova just stayed silent, letting her mother rinse her hair out.

* * *

Punk had taken Ace out for his night walk. He needed to get out of the apartment for some air. He felt unwanted the entire day, like he was walking on eggshells around Nova. Even though AJ tried to convince him it would be fine in a few days, it still sucked to know his daughter was afraid of him, and she was making sure he knew just how scared she was. It was the worst feeling in the world, not to mention he was thinking about everything with his possible biological father and brothers.

He wound up going to his fathers with Ace, not knowing where else to go. He wanted to stay out for as long as it took AJ to put Nova to bed. He couldn't bear to be in the room with Nova, scaring her. It was a difficult time.

"Does he need water?" Dan asked once Punk had walked into his house with Ace.

"Yeah, just sit a bowl down for him." Punk nodded, looking down at Ace who was panting with his tongue out.

"He's not as young as you remember, huh?" Dan chuckled, getting a bowl of water for the dog and sitting it down as Ace collapsed and began drinking.

"I guess not." Punk shook his head, running his hand over his face as Dan watched him.

"How come you're here so late?" Dan asked, "Everything ok?" He said, wandering back into the living room with Punk.

"Not really. No." Punk shook his head, sitting down on the sofa as Dan shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Dan asked, sitting down across from him.

"I'm pretty sure Nova hates me." Punk nodded, "And my biological dad is the scum of the earth, as are his two sons who came to our apartment last night to kill me." Punk said as Dan tried to keep up.

"Wait a minute… I thought-I thought your mom said that your dad…" Dan said, still having a hard time with admitting that. Although he and Punk were closer than ever, a part of him would always think about how he wasn't really his son, "I thought your mom said your dad died."

"Well she obviously fucking lied, didn't she?" Punk shook his head, "I don't know why I'm surprised."

"So who is your dad?" Dan shook his head.

"Billy apparently." Punk said as Dan sighed, running his hand over his face, "Mom sure knew how to pick them. Stupid bitch."

"Ok, that's enough. Just forget about her." Dan waved his hand, "Do you know for definite?"

"No, but it seems pretty accurate." Punk said, "His sons came to the apartment last night, tried to kill me but it ended in a brawl and… Nova saw the whole thing. Now she's terrified of me." Punk shook his head.

"I'm sure she'll come around." Dan said.

"No, she's like pissed." Punk said, "She doesn't even wanna be in the same room as me." Punk sighed, "Things were good with us. She trusted me. Now it's like she hates me." Punk sighed. When it came to it, he didn't care about everything with Billy, he was more concerned about his daughter, and gaining her trust back.

"You gotta just let her come around on her terms. Remember you've just came back. It's probably taking her a lot to get used to you as it is, she's been so used to just AJ this entire time." Dan said, "She's just a kid."

"I know that." Punk sighed, "Everything feels like it's falling apart." Punk shook his head, "I got a psychotic biological dad, two brothers who wanna kill me, a daughter who hates me-"

"She doesn't hate you, Phil." Dan sighed, "And forget about those low lives. They're going to prison and with what they've done, they won't be getting out. Forget about them. You know who your family are. You focus on them, and settling back into your life. You've not got the chance to yet." Dan said, "Are things wrapping up?"

"Yeah, the agent in charge told me they're pushing forward. The station should be getting back to normal within a few days." Punk nodded, "I just feel like nothing is gonna be normal again."

"It will. Trust me." Dan nodded, "Think about how normal things were before all of this. That will come again." Dan said, "Look, I know I've not been the greatest father in the world, and I'm not good with advice. But the best scenario that has came out of all of this, that I never thought would have happened, is you being back here with your family. Not the ones who are locked up right now and claiming to be your father and brothers, but the family you've always had. The family you made on your own. April, Nova, the boys at the station." Dan said, "Don't give up when you've come this far." He said, "You… You got here from Mexico, for crying out loud." He said as Punk chuckled, "It's just gonna take a little bit of time."

"I have wasted so much time." Punk shook his head, "I can't lose anymore."

"You might have to. But it'll be worth it in the end." Dan said, "Forget about all of the white noise around you. Focus on your life and your family. No one else. They're the ones who matter." He nodded as Punk smiled.

"You're getting good at this advice stuff." Punk nodded, "I haven't even got the chance to thank you for… being there for April and Nova." Punk said, "That meant a lot."

"They're my family too." Dan nodded, "I may not be your dad but-"

"You are my dad." Punk said, "Nothing changes. You raised me. You're my dad." Punk nodded as Dan smiled.

"I'm glad you still feel that way." Dan smiled, "It's getting late. You should get home. Make sure AJ isn't worrying." He said as Punk nodded.

* * *

Punk got home later on with Ace after having his conversation with his dad. He walked through the apartment door, noticing AJ laying on the couch, watching her look around and smile tiredly.

"Hey." AJ smiled quietly, watching Ace rush around the sofa and jump up, lying down by her feet as she smiled, "You were gone for a while. I was getting worried." She admitted, sitting up as Punk walked over and sat down on the opposite couch.

"I stopped in at my dad's." Punk said, "I figured I'd let you get her to bed."

"You don't have to avoid her like the plague." AJ said, "She's gonna come around, Phil. You just gotta let her… go through what she has to, and be waiting for her when she's ready to… talk to you again. We jumped into this really quickly, and maybe that scared her a little too. She's just a little girl." AJ said, "And it's just been me and her this entire time."

"I know." Punk nodded softly, "I get that now. I just don't want her to think I'd ever hurt her or scare her. She's the last person I would ever hurt." Punk said as AJ nodded.

"I told her tonight." AJ said, "I think she wants us to work in Target." She chuckled a little as Punk shook his head with confusion, "She said her friend's mom works in Target and no bad men come to her house." AJ said, "I explained to her that you were protecting us from the bad man." AJ said.

"Maybe we should work in Target." Punk shook his head, "Wouldn't be so bad."

"It's gonna blow over, baby." AJ sighed, standing up and walking over to him, sitting down on his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck, "All of this is going to be finished with, and we can finally be a family, and get back to normality." She said, "Don't worry about Nova. She just needs a little bit of time." She said as Punk nodded, looking down as she tilted his head up using his chin, "I love you. And I'm so glad you're here." She said with relief. She'd been struggling herself the past few days, feeling like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Having him here made such a difference.

"I'm so glad I'm here too." Punk nodded as she smiled, curling down into him and resting her head on his shoulder.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	27. Green Eyed Monster

**Green Eyed Monster**

* * *

The next day, Nova was fit to go back to school after her tummy ache was beginning to subside. She avoided Punk in the morning and AJ took her to school, coming back home where Punk was wide awake, sitting at the kitchen table with pieces of paper all over the table.

"What are you doing?" AJ asked, sitting the car keys down as she approached the table.

"I'm just overlooking all of this again." Punk nodded to her as she looked at the sheets of paper to do with Billy and the gang.

"You don't have to." AJ reminded him, "It's being taken care of. Nothing has been missed." She said.

"I'm also looking at Billy's finals, and Marty and Cash's." He said as AJ sighed.

"Is that gonna help you?" AJ asked him, "I thought you were forgetting about them." She said, taking a seat at the table across from him, watching as he piled up papers, taking a hold of his wrist to stop him, "Phil, look at me." She nodded as he looked across at her, "You're not helping yourself here."

"I wanna know why they done what they done." Punk said.

"That's Matson's job. Not ours." AJ said, "They've been charged. It's all over now." She said, "You don't have to look at any of this." She shook her head. She didn't know if it was because he didn't know what to do with himself, or if it was because the idea of this man being is father along with having two brothers, was still fresh in his mind, that he had to continue to look at their files and faces.

"I gotta know." Punk nodded. He thought he didn't. He thought he could forget about them. But he had to know that Chicago's evilest mob leader was his biological father.

"I thought Matson said he'd run some DNA tests for you." AJ said.

"He did." Punk said, "I want to know but… I don't want to know." He shook his head as AJ smiled.

"You sound a little confused." She nodded.

"If I want answers I gotta go to the station." He sighed, leaning back on the chair and running his hands over his face, "Did Nova go to school ok?" He asked.

"Yeah, she was fine." AJ smiled, "She seemed a lot brighter."

"Good." Punk nodded, "That's good." He said as AJ watched him.

"Why don't we go to the station?" AJ asked him, "You can do whatever you need to do for these tests. We can talk to Matson about what's going on." She shrugged.

"I thought you wanted a few days away from the station." Punk said.

"Well it's not like we're going in to do work." AJ said, "And I'm feeling a little better today." She nodded as Punk smiled.

"Good. I'm glad." Punk nodded.

"What do you say?" AJ smiled as Punk nodded.

"Ok, let's go." Punk said. He couldn't make his mind up. He wanted answers, but at the same time, he didn't. He felt like he would have peace of mind with answers, but with answers came the truth, and this truth wasn't something he was all that excited about. But he kept replaying what his father said to him last night. He had his family. Billy and his sons were never going to be his family, no matter if they shared the same DNA or not.

* * *

AJ and Punk arrived at the station later that day, and whilst Punk spoke to Matson at the back of the station, AJ stood with Seth, Rocky and Dean.

"I'm not sure if Phil will be up to it." AJ admitted, looking over at Punk who was speaking to Matson in depth.

"C'mon, it's Eve's birthday. It might do him some good." Seth said, "She wants to see everyone. She's been struggling with the baby. She could use a get together." He nodded.

"She's been struggling with the baby because you've been here." Dean smacked him across the back of the head as Seth groaned a little.

"She told me to be here." Seth defended, "Trust me, I'd rather be there with her and Ty instead of here with you lot." He said as AJ just smiled. She missed them and their poor attitudes, "She just wants her close friends over at the house. It's not a big ask. We could all use it after the shit that's happened. We still haven't gotten the chance to celebrate Phil being fucking alive." Seth shook his head.

"We've been caught up with all of this." AJ said, "Nova's not having the best time with Phil right now, so… I don't know-"

"What do you mean?" Rocky asked.

"Well she saw him completely pummel one of his half-brothers in our apartment a few nights ago." She said, "Now she's terrified of him and won't speak to him."

"Shit." Dean sighed, "They were doing good."

"Yeah, well… a few steps back for now." AJ sighed, "It's killing him." She shook her head, turning back to look at Punk, "And all of this with his biological dad is fucking him up."

"So if this guy is his biological dad, why the fuck did he try and kill him?" Dean questioned as they all nodded curiously.

"Well look at the bigger picture." AJ said, "You got Billy and his two sons, evil, disgusting little men, and then you have Phil who is everything they hate. It's like bipolar opposites." She shook her head as they looked at her wearily, "What? I can't say bipolar?" She smirked as they smiled back at her, Seth nudged her comfortingly, "No, but seriously… they're either jealous or ashamed or… I don't know." AJ sighed, "But it's over now. That's what matters."

"Yeah, I spoke to one of the women in hospital who had been affected." Seth said, "Matson sent me out to… get the scope on things. Hands down the toughest thing I've ever done." He nodded, "They all looked like skeletons. Most of them couldn't even tell me their names they were so drugged up." He shook his head.

"And there were really people out there trying to cover all of this up?" Rocky shook his head, "It's the worst thing we've ever dealt with, definitely." He said. They were all pretty shaken up by everything still.

"Well, Matson said that Carter and his agents will just disappear now. They've failed in their mission." AJ said.

"Surely not." Dean said, "What they done was illegal. I mean, in other words they kidnapped Phil." He said, "They can't just disappear." He said as AJ just shrugged.

"Well it looks like they have." AJ said, "They'll know better than to come back, especially when they put their hands on my daughter." AJ shook her head, "Is Nova invited to this get together?" AJ turned to Seth.

"She was invited way before you or Phil." Seth laughed as AJ smiled, "Of course she is." Seth nodded.

"I uh… I might introduce you guys to the girl I'm seeing then." Dean announced as they all turned to him with shock.

"You're seeing someone?" Punk crept up behind AJ, joining in on staring at Dean.

"Why is that so surprising for you all?" Dean huffed.

"You've never introduced to a girl before." Rocky said, "Are you finally growing up?"

"Shut up." Dean spat, "She's a lawyer."

"Oh, God." AJ sighed as they all groaned.

"A lawyer?" Punk groaned.

"Why a lawyer?" Seth hit Dean on the shoulder as Dean looked at them all. His best friends.

"Yes, she's a fucking lawyer." Dean spat, "A good one. Not all of us date the ugly, scum lawyers." He looked at AJ who whistled.

"Burn." AJ nodded, "Jacob wasn't ugly." She shrugged.

"Wasn't fucking pretty either." Punk added as AJ smacked him on the stomach, "Is he still in prison?" He wondered.

"No, he got out last year." AJ said in private to him as Punk nodded.

"Anyway." Dean said loudly, "I'll bring her along to the house and you can all meet her." Dean turned to Seth who nodded.

"Wait, what's going on?" Punk asked.

"Eve's birthday." AJ told him, "We've to go to the house since they have a baby and they're boring now." AJ nodded.

"Sounds good. I still haven't met the little dude yet." Punk smiled, "Might get on better with him than my own kid." He shook his head as they all frowned awkwardly as AJ sighed, "This weekend?" He asked as Seth nodded.

"Yeah, you guys don't have to stay long. Eve just wants to see you all." Seth nodded.

"We'll be there." Punk nodded, turning to AJ who nodded to with a smile. She was glad he was up to going.

"Great." Seth smiled, "Can't wait to scare the lawyer off." He turned to Dean who shook his head.

"I'm walking away from you all." He said, walking off as they chuckled, eventually all splitting out as AJ and Punk stood by themselves.

"So, did you do what you had to do?" AJ asked him.

"Yeah. Matson said it could take from a few days to a week so I just gotta be patient now." Punk said, "He also said Billy, Marty and Cash have been moved to a facility whilst they wait them and the others wait their trials." He said, "So things are… back to normal in here I guess." He looked around the station as AJ nodded.

"No commissioner, though." AJ remembered, "They'll need to find someone quick, before the whole place falls apart." She sighed as Punk nodded.

"Hopefully it's not a dick." He said as AJ smiled.

"Here's hoping." She nodded.

* * *

The weekend eventually came around, and Punk and AJ were getting ready to leave to go to Seth and Eve's for the night. Seth was right, they needed this. After everything that had went down, they had so much reasons to celebrate together and be thankful to be together again.

Punk kept replaying what is father had said to him. To remember his family. The family he made on his own. To keep them close and safe. And that's what he was doing. His relationship with Nova was still on a rocky path. She was still choosing to distance herself from him, but Punk was letting her. He was giving her the space she deserved, and when she wanted to let him back in, he'd be waiting. As much as it was killing him, he knew it would take time.

"What do you think this girl Dean is bringing is like?" Punk asked, getting out of the car after pulling up to Seth and Eve's house, Nova jumping out of the car with her mother's help, running ahead to the front door and knocking on it.

"I think she'll be lovely and we should welcome her with open arms." AJ said, locking the car as they walked through the gate, "In other words, do not scare her." She warned him.

"I would never." Punk gasped, walking up the steps with her as they joined Nova in waiting at the door.

"No one is answering." Nova turned to her mother.

"Be patient, baby." AJ laughed a little, locking her arm around Punk's as Nova watched closely. It was hard for her little brain to wrap around how her mother could still trust this man? He did a bad thing in her mind. But seeing her mother trust him still, rubbed on her too, but she was also stubborn.

"Uncle Seth!" Nova knocked at the door louder as Punk smiled a little.

"That's the baby awake now." Punk nodded as AJ smiled, eventually watching as Seth came to the door, immediately picking Nova up and messing around with her. It was things like this Punk had really missed. Nights with his friends. Nights with his girlfriend and daughter. Nights with _his_ family.

They got into the house, and Nova gave Eve her present immediately, running up to her, wanting to be the one to give her it. Eve gave her lots of kisses, as well as greeting Punk and AJ, and then they wandered into the kitchen where they were introduced to Dean's new girlfriend.

"Phil, April… this is Renee. Renee, this is Phil and April." Dean introduced them simply as the blonde woman smiled, extending her hand as AJ and Punk greeted her politely.

"Dean has told me all about you both." Renee smiled.

"And he's told us nothing about you." Punk replied, "Besides the fact you're a lawyer." He said, turning to Dean who shook his head.

"Yeah, he told me you guys got a kick out of that." Renee smiled, "I've never felt safer before." She chuckled, fading off into conversation with AJ and Punk whilst Dean stood with Rocky and his wife.

* * *

Later on that night whilst AJ got into great conversation with Renee, being shed privately into the information that Dean had actually met Renee at his therapy group, which in a way touched her heart, Punk was in the living room finally meeting the new baby.

"So he's a few weeks old?" Punk asked as Eve passed baby Tyler over to him. He didn't feel out of practice, it felt like just yesterday that Nova was as small as Tyler was. Speaking of Nova, she was sitting over on the opposite sofa, looking over at him with the baby suspiciously.

"Yeah. 4 weeks tomorrow actually." Eve smiled proudly whilst Seth nodded with pride.

"He's cute, I can't lie." Punk nodded to them as they both smiled like the proud parents they were, "Could have called him Phil in honour of your dead friend though." Punk smiled up at them as they laughed.

"No joke, we talked about it." Seth said, "AJ warned us not to, though." He said as Punk nodded.

"I guess we couldn't have him stealing my thunder. Huh, little guy?" Punk smiled down at the baby, "You guys go get some food from the kitchen. I got him." Punk nodded, feeling quite comfortable with the baby.

"You sure?" Eve said as Punk nodded, "You wear a baby well, Phil."

"Thank you, Eve." Punk chuckled.

"What the hell does that mean?" Seth asked as they walked off into the kitchen with the others whilst Punk sat with the baby, Nova opposite to him still watching.

"Why are you holding the baby?" Nova asked him, "He's not your baby." She told him, as if he didn't already know that.

"I've not met him yet." Punk looked across at her. She just looked like she constantly wanted to fight with him. She had AJ's little stubborn face on that he couldn't help find adorable, "He's cute, right?" Punk smiled.

"Yeah, I already saw him before you." She rubbed in as Punk nodded, watching her slide off the sofa, walking over to him, "Do you like him?" She asked anxiously, shuffling up on the couch beside him.

"I love him." Punk nodded, "Just like Uncle Seth loves you." He said as Nova folded her arms.

"But I thought I was your baby." Nova huffed as Punk turned to her with a large smile.

"Hey, you are my one and only baby." Punk said, "I can promise you that." He nodded, "But I gotta say, you're not making it very easy on me." He admitted as she placed her hand on his knee, looking over at the baby.

"I don't got any other daddies I guess." Nova shrugged, "Just you." She nodded as Punk chuckled a little.

"Just me." He smiled at her lack of enthusiasm.

"Will you spend time with the baby more than me?" She wondered, trying not to show her jealousy even though it had never been clearer. She was practically on his lap.

"Well, no. He's not my baby." Punk laughed.

"But I am?" She looked up at him, trying to drill that in his brain as he chuckled.

"Yeah. You are." Punk smiled, "And I'd never scare or hurt my baby." Punk promised her.

"Or mommy? You won't scare or hurt her either?" Nova asked as AJ stood at the kitchen door listening and smiling, "Because mommy is important to me." She said.

"She's so important." Punk agreed, "Where would we be without her, right?"

"I don't know." Nova sighed dramatically as AJ smiled from the kitchen door tearfully.

"I promise you with every single inch of my heart, I would never hurt you or mommy ever, and I'm really sorry that I scared you. I didn't want to." He said, still holding the sleeping baby whilst Nova sat close to him.

"It's ok. Mommy told me you were saving us from the bad men. Maybe you are a superhero." She shrugged as Punk smiled.

"I thought I was just daddy? I thought that was better than a superhero?" He said as Nova nodded.

"Yeah, you are." Nova nodded.

"I'm really sorry I scared you." He looked down at her as her little legs swung back and forth dangling off the couch, "You forgive me, right?" He said.

"Yeah, I forgive you, daddy." Nova nodded as AJ smiled from the kitchen door, creeping away back into the kitchen.

"Thanks, princess." Punk smiled, curving his free arm around her as she leaned into him. He was gonna do everything he could to build the perfect relationship with his daughter. This was just the first step.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	28. An Offer

**An Offer**

* * *

"So, did you and Nova make up tonight?" AJ smiled, standing across from Punk in their bedroom as she got into her pyjamas, having just got home. Nova had fallen asleep in the car, so AJ put her straight in her pyjamas and into bed.

"I think so. Yeah." Punk smiled. He couldn't stop smiling. AJ could see it on his face. It meant the world to him that Nova had even approached him tonight, "She was jealous of me with the baby I think." Punk said.

"What is she gonna be like when we give her a brother or a sister?" AJ chuckled as Punk looked over at her.

"You think about that?" Punk wondered, watching as she got into bed and nodded.

"Yeah, I feel like I can again." AJ nodded, "Turn the light off." She said, turning around and switching the lamp on her bedside table on, so they had just a little bit of light whilst Punk walked over and shut off the main one, closing the door over and getting into bed beside her.

"I didn't know you still thought about that." He admitted, turning on his side to face her as she laughed a little.

"Why? Am I not allowed to?" She smirked.

"No but just…. With everything that's been going on." He said.

"Well I'm not sitting all day thinking about it, Phil." AJ said, "I am taking full advantage of you now that you're here again." She said as he chuckled.

"I don't mind you taking advantage of me." He said, "I really don't." He smirked.

"Be careful what you wish for." AJ hummed, rolling over on top of him, beginning to kiss down his chest, sitting up for a second to strip the skimpy t-shirt off that she was wearing as he sat up, closing his mouth around her breasts, kissing above at her collarbone as she rolled her head back with a smile.

She then pushed him back down and continued to travel down his body, hooking her fingers in his boxers and pulling them down to free his length.

"Is this you taking full advantage of me?" Punk asked her, watching as she placed her hand around his member, stroking it up and down with a smile as she watched his face screw up with pleasure.

"Not full advantage yet." She hummed, lowering her mouth down as she began to roll her lips against his length, sucking the tip of him first before taking him all the way in, bobbing her head up and down, releasing him to use her hand, then going back to using her mouth.

"Fuck, April." Punk moaned, reaching down and bunching her hair together from her face as she continued to suck him off, taking him as far in as she could every time as he groaned.

"I want this cock inside me." AJ moaned, wiping her mouth and sliding down her shorts and panties, straddling over him whilst stroking her clit as he watched her.

"Fuck, you're so hot." Punk moaned, wondering how he ever got so lucky, watching her smile as she guided his length inside her, moaning to himself as he gripped her hips immediately.

"Oh, fuck." AJ gasped, taking him all the way in, "You're so deep inside me." She almost cried out, collapsing over him and capturing his lips with hers as she began to move her hips up and down on her own, his hands rested on her torso whilst she set the pace. It was the perfect end to a good night.

* * *

Punk woke up the next morning, hearing the TV on out in the living room. He turned to his side and saw AJ still fast asleep naked under the scattered sheets. He smiled. It was his favourite sight to wake up to.

He leaned over, kissing her on the neck before getting up and putting some clothes on. He shoved some basketball shorts on and a t-shirt and walked out into the living room where Nova was sitting watching TV with Ace lying beside her.

"Morning." Punk smiled to her.

"Hi." Nova replied.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Punk asked, sitting down on the other sofa as she nodded.

"Yeah, I did. Did you?" Nova asked as Punk smiled.

"I did." Punk nodded, "You had breakfast?" He wondered.

"No. Not yet. I was waiting on mommy." Nova said as Punk nodded. In a way, Punk believed that would never change. The fact Nova depended more on her mother than him. It made sense, and it was probably something that was going to stick with her for a while. She was so used to depending on only her mother, and it showed when she waited on her for simple things like breakfast, bath time, bedtime. She was programmed into that life with her, and he was still trying to fit in.

"Why don't we take Ace for a walk and pick up some breakfast on the way home? We can surprise mommy." He said as she smiled and nodded, "Yeah? Ok. Let's get ready then." He said.

* * *

Once Punk had showered and gotten ready, as well as helping Nova get ready, they headed out with Ace to the park, meanwhile AJ had woke up, getting out of bed in the quiet apartment, putting on her dress robe as she left her bedroom. Once she saw that Ace was gone, she knew that Punk had obviously taken Nova with him to walk him.

She headed into the kitchen and grabbed out her tub of pills, shaking them out when only one fell out. She had her doctor's appointment tonight, where she had to remind herself to get more medication for herself before she ran out.

She jumped suddenly when she heard a knock at the door. She made sure her dress robe was covering everything before answering the door to an unfamiliar face. A man dressed in a suit looking very professional.

"Can I help you?" AJ shook her head.

"I'm looking for Phil Brooks." The man said, "I'm from the DOJ. My name is Will Sanders." He said as AJ nodded.

"He's out just now. Can I… pass him a message from you?" AJ wondered, not sure what the Department of Justice wanted with Punk.

"I'd rather see him in person." Will said, "How long will he be?" He asked.

"I'm not that sure." AJ shook her head, "You can… wait if you like." She said, even though she didn't really want him to wait, but if it was important.

"If you don't mind." Will said.

"Not at all." AJ shook her head, letting him into the apartment as she shut the door over, "Can I ask what this is about?" She said, "I-I work on the force too so… it's nothing I won't understand, probably." She said.

"I know you do. One of the state's greatest detectives. Perhaps maybe the country's greatest detectives." Will smiled as AJ laughed a little.

"I don't know about that." AJ smiled modestly.

"Well, as you know, Chicago PD needs a new commissioner, after the passing of Walter." Will said, "Phil is a sergeant, and he's also uncovered one of the biggest crimes we've seen in a long time." Will nodded, "We'd like to appoint him as new commissioner." He said as AJ raised her eyebrows.

"R-Really?" AJ shook her head as Will nodded.

"He is a sergeant. He was a great one. And he's shown a lot of qualities these past few weeks upon his return that we need." Will said.

"I didn't know it was you guys who appointed commissioners." AJ shook her head.

"We have our say." Will nodded.

"So that's it? You just offer him the job and he takes it?" AJ shook her head.

"Well it's not that easy. It will still be like applying for a job. He'll have to have a few interviews. But it's a short procedure, and I don't have any doubt he'll mess it up." He said as AJ nodded.

"So that means… he'd-he'd be my boss?" AJ said.

"Well, he'd be doing what he's always done. He'd still be on the beat and fulfilling his duties as a sergeant since he's still young. But, he'd also be making sure everyone was doing what they are supposed to be doing." Will said, "He can always say no to it, too." He said as AJ nodded.

She wasn't jealous. She loved her job and being a detective was always going to be her main concern, but she didn't know how she felt about Punk being in charge of the full station. She believed he had the skill and the patience, but she just didn't know if it was too much for him to take on.

Punk and Nova eventually got back home with Ace and with some breakfast. Punk was wondering why there was a man in a suit talking to his girlfriend who only had a dress robe on. He noticed the man staring everywhere but her face and wondered what the hell was going on.

"Uh… Phil this is Will Sanders from the DOJ." AJ said whilst Nova wandered away and placed breakfast on the table, independently fetching Ace some water and taking out the muffins they had bought. Sometimes she liked to play the role of mom to her own parents.

"Hi." Punk shook his head with confusion, extending his hand and shaking Will's.

"I'll let you both talk." AJ nodded, walking off to the kitchen table where Nova was whilst Punk stood over with Will who began explaining everything that he had explained to AJ.

"You want me to be commissioner?" Punk asked, "Me?" He shook his head.

"You." Will nodded, "You stopped this gang. These dangerous men."

"No, I didn't." Punk laughed a little, "Homeland did."

"Yes, once you notified them." Will said, "You uncovered the truth and that was the hardest part."

"So did my girl." Punk nodded over to AJ who was helping Nova at the table, "Whilst I was driving here from Mexico, she was out there getting names and faces." Punk said, "She's the one you should be praising and promoting."

"And we appreciate everything she done too. We appreciate everyone who was involved." Will nodded, "But you've been at that station for a long time, and Walter specifically requested you to take over his position if anything happened."

"He did?" Punk shook his head.

"Yeah." Will nodded, "Phil, you're just doing the same job, really. Only, you're making sure everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing. It's just a little more pressure." He said, "You can say no if you don't want to take on the job. We'd understand. I mean… you're still young, you have a family here." He said as Punk nodded.

"I don't know. I.. I'm gonna need to think about it." Punk said, not believing he was being offered this job.

"Think about it." Will nodded, taking out his card with the number to his office phone on it, "And then call me when you're ready." He handed the card over as Punk took it and nodded, "Thanks for your time." He smiled as Punk nodded.

"Thanks for dropping by." Punk said, "I'll give you a call. I just… I need to think about it." Punk nodded.

"I understand." Will said, leaving the apartment as Punk closed the door over.

"What the hell?" Punk walked over to the kitchen table.

"Swear jar!" Nova yelled whilst eating her muffin.

"I know." AJ shook her head looking across at him, "What are you thinking?" She asked him.

"I have no idea." Punk shook his head, "I didn't expect this." He said truthfully as AJ nodded, "I'm gonna need to think about it." He said.

"Yeah, don't rush into any final answers just yet. It's-It's a big step up." She said as Punk nodded, running his hand over his face.

"I know." Punk said, "Ok, breakfast." He said, turning to the coffees and the muffins that he and Nova had picked up, talking to Nova who told him if the muffin was good or not that she was eating whilst AJ watched him. Would it have been selfish to tell him she didn't want him to take the job?

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	29. Anxious

**Anxious**

* * *

AJ got home from the doctors later that night to dinner waiting on her at the table. She was thankful to have an extra hand around the house again. She didn't have to worry about taking Nova to the doctors with her, or constantly dropping her with Dan. Now Punk was back, things were a lot easier.

"Something smells good in here." AJ smiled, taking her coat off and taking her seat next to Nova who was already eating her dinner, avoiding the vegetables on the plate of course.

"Daddy can cook." Nova told her mother, happily surprised as AJ chuckled.

"He can." AJ smiled, kissing her head softly and smiling over at Punk.

"How did it go?" Punk asked her as she nodded.

"Fine. As usual." She nodded. Whilst she was at the doctors, Punk had time to sit and think about this new job offer. It might not have seemed like a big deal, considering the work load was probably going to be the same, with a little bit more pressure to stay on top of things, but it really was a big job title to have, not to mention the pay rise.

"How come mommy doesn't have carrots on her plate?" Nova sighed, "And I do." She groaned.

"Because mommy doesn't like carrots." Punk said as AJ nodded, "And you do."

"I don't." Nova shook her head.

"Yeah, you do, baby." AJ smiled down to her, "C'mon, don't be difficult." She said, sliding Nova's plate closer to her so she didn't spill much on the table, "You been thinking?" She turned back to Punk as they ate dinner.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "I've been thinking a lot." He said.

"What are you thinking then?" AJ smiled curiously.

"I'm thinking the pay is gonna be great." Punk said as AJ looked across at him.

"Money can't buy happiness, Philip." AJ said.

"Actually, it can, April." Punk smiled back, "We can maybe save up for a house. With our own upstairs and downstairs. And a garden." He said as AJ smiled a little.

"What's wrong with our apartment?" AJ shook her head.

"Nothing is wrong with it but… don't you want our own house?" Punk asked her.

"Just because you get a job promotion doesn't mean we have to go buy a house and live in the suburbs." She laughed.

"I didn't say we had to." Punk said, "Are you ok?" He said as she nodded.

"I'm fine." AJ smiled, "I don't think you should take the job solely based on the money." AJ shook her head, "What if it's too much for you?" She said.

"I've spent the past four years doing nothing. I want a challenge. I want to do something new." He said, "I mean, it's still the same environment, isn't it? And Walter said he wanted me to take over his job." Punk smiled.

"So you want to do it?" AJ asked him.

"I wanna consider it, yeah." Punk nodded.

"You'd… You'd be my boss." AJ put her fork down as Punk shook his head, "I'm fucking my boss, that sounds great." AJ nodded as Punk turned to Nova wearily as AJ hadn't seemed to care to swear in front of her.

"Baby, take your plate over to the couch." Punk nodded to Nova.

"I'm not allowed to eat at the couch." Nova shook her head.

"You are now." Punk nodded, "On you go." He said as Nova jumped down from the chair and took her plate over to the couch to eat as Punk turned to AJ fiercely, "Why are you talking like that in front of her?" Punk hissed.

"Oh, please. She didn't even blink an eye." AJ shook her head.

"That's not the point, April." Punk said, "What's wrong? Did you have a bad day at the doctors?" He wondered.

"No. The doctors was fine." AJ said, "I just don't think you becoming the commissioner is the best idea." She shook her head.

"Why not?" Punk said.

"Well one, you're gonna have to go to out of town meetings a lot, two, you're gonna be my boss, three, it's a lot of work to take on, especially when you've done nothing for four years." She said as Punk sighed.

"Would you take it, if it was offered to you?" Punk asked her.

"No." AJ said, "Look, I'm not jealous if that's what you're thinking." AJ said, "I was offered Captain and I turned it down, remember?" AJ said, "I'm a detective and I'll stay a detective, but I'm scared that this is going to… take you away from me and I've just got you back and I'm not losing you again-" She raced on without taking a breath as Punk tried to keep up.

"Ok, Ok." Punk put his hands up, "Calm down. It's ok." He nodded as she took deep breaths, "Just take a breath and calm down." Punk nodded to her.

"I'm sorry I just…" She placed her hand on her forehead, pushing her plate away as Punk watched her.

"April, you don't have to be scared of losing me. I'm not going anywhere." Punk promised her, "And I'm not gonna be your boss. I'm just gonna be making sure we're all keeping on top of things. Walter never acted like a boss with us before." He pointed out to her as she nodded, "C'mon, you're getting yourself worked up over nothing here." He said.

"You'll be out of town a lot." AJ said, "What if you meet someone else or you don't wanna come back to us or-"

"April." Punk said sternly, "I'm not… I'm not Jacob. Ok?" Punk said as AJ looked across at him, "I'll be gone maybe a few times a month, and I'll be straight back the next day. I only ever want to be here with you and Nova, and that's not gonna change." He said, "I'm not gonna meet someone else." He screwed his eyes up.

He knew that she would be paranoid now, ever since losing him for four years, she perhaps wouldn't quite get used to the idea of him staying here forever, and would overthink everything into convincing herself she was going to lose him again. It was just who she was, and he just wanted to assure her that he wasn't going anywhere. They were a family here, and this promotion should have been something to celebrate.

He knew she wasn't trying to discourage him. She was just scared.

"What if it's too much for you?" AJ asked him quietly.

"I'm sure I'll be able to handle it." Punk smiled, "Don't worry about this, baby." He sighed.

"I don't want you to think I'm trying to hold you back." AJ sighed, "I support you in everything you do and you know that, but… I just don't want this to put any strain on our relationship. Especially when you've just gotten back and we're still trying to… be a family." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"I know. I know you're just worried." Punk said, "But how many times have you been worried about something that wound up turning out great?" He smiled, "Remember when you found out you were having Nova? You were terrified and worried and you didn't know what to do… and then look what happened." He smiled, nodding over to Nova who was sitting feeding her carrots to Ace as AJ looked over, placing her hand over her mouth.

"I said fuck in front of her." AJ gasped. She'd gone completely off the tracks in a mini panic episode, and completely forgot what she was saying.

"It's ok, it went over her head." Punk said, "I'd rather you tell me how you feel then say nothing." He nodded. He was glad she was talking to him about how she felt. He understood why she felt the way she did, and he just wanted to assure her that it'd be ok. She needed that assurance after four years of not having it.

"I want you to be happy." AJ nodded, "And I want you to do what you feel is right, but I just… I don't want work to come in between us."

"Has it ever come between us before?" Punk asked her as she shook her head, "Well then it's not gonna." He said, "How have you been feeling today? Give me a number." Punk said as she smiled.

He'd always used to ask her to give him a number of how her day had been. Little things like that, that showed he cared about her health just as much as she did. He'd always ask her at the end of every day, even when they were just friends and he would drop her off at the apartment.

"Um…" AJ shook her head, "A 4." She nodded, looking up at him with teary eyes, "Maybe a three." She swallowed the lump in her throat as he sighed, standing up and walking around the table to sit next to her.

"Is it because you're worried about me taking this job?" Punk asked her, taking her hands in his as she nodded. She knew her stress and worry was her biggest trigger when it came to her mental health, and it was enough to send her into a depressive or manic cycle. Not to mention, she'd ran out of meds.

"I just want things to be the way they used to be, before you went away." She nodded. He wasn't the only one having a hard time with settling back into life as a family. AJ was finding it tough too, to accept that things had changed and their lives had gone on for four years without one another. She wanted to rewind and make sure they didn't lose all that time, but they couldn't.

"Baby, it'll be even better." Punk nodded, cupping her cheeks, "We'll get back to working and doing the same thing we've always done. Only, I might be wandering around more, and I might have to go out of town once every so often." He said, "And I'm not gonna boss you around if that's what you think." He said as she laughed a little, "I'm not gonna boss anyone around. I'm just there to… keep things running smoothly." He said as she nodded.

He was really excited about the promotion, and he only wished AJ could be excited with him too. He was definitely considering taking it, it was something he never imagined happening, but he wouldn't do it without having AJ fully on board.

"You'll be great." AJ smiled to him, "You deserve this." She nodded. And he did. She truly believed it. She just wished she wasn't so anxious about it.

"I wanna make Walter proud. Fill in his shoes real good." Punk nodded as she smiled and nodded.

"He'll be proud of you." AJ smiled, "I trust you, I just… I don't want to be scared of losing you." She shook her head. It was a constant feeling she had, but she wouldn't say that to him.

"You're never losing me, unfortunately." Punk smiled, "Come here." He nodded as she shuffled over on her chair as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head, "No job is tearing me away from my family. That's a promise." He said, "Please don't worry." He whispered as she hugged him tightly.

"I'll try not to." She sniffled as he kissed her head repeatedly whilst hugging her tightly.

"Any ideas how we can turn that three into… an eight at least?" Punk asked her as she smiled.

"A bath with candles, some cake, a movie." She said.

"We can make that happen." Punk whispered, kissing her forehead as she smiled whilst Nova came back over with her empty plate, sitting it down on the table, "Hey, see you do like carrots." Punk nodded.

"No, Ace ate them." Nova smiled, running off as AJ and Punk smiled, turning around to look at Ace who was lying licking his lips as they laughed.

"He's gonna get fat." Punk turned back to AJ who smiled, "I'll go run you a bath-" He went to stand up when AJ took a hold of his hand.

"I meant a bath with you." AJ said as Punk raised his brows.

"Oh." He smiled, watching as she stood up.

"Later." She smirked, taking the plates away from the table as he smiled watching her.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! Will the job come between them?**


	30. Back At It

**Back At It**

* * *

 _Two months later…_

"Phil! Your phone is ringing!" AJ yelled from the kitchen, "It's Matson." She said, hearing Punk run into the kitchen, his toothbrush still in his mouth as he answered the phone.

"Hello." He tried to speak clearly as AJ smiled, making up Nova's lunch for her at the kitchen, "Yeah, what's up?" Punk said, wandering away as AJ packed Nova's lunch into her brown paper bag, watching Nova walk through into the kitchen.

"That's not the outfit I laid out for you." AJ shook her head, "I left your jeans and the blue t-shirt, and the denim jacket?" She shook her head, looking on at Nova dressed in black leggings and a pull over hoodie.

"Well I didn't want to wear that, mommy. I don't lay out your clothes for you." She said simply as AJ nodded. Point taken, "This is my comfy clothes." She said, kneeling up on the kitchen chair as AJ passed her a bowl of cereal.

"Ok, well we don't have time to change anyway, so eat up your breakfast." She said, packing away her lunch in her backpack, "Do you have gym today?" AJ asked her as Nova turned to her.

"You tell me." Nova shrugged as AJ shook her head. She knew she had to keep on top of Nova's school life a little better, but sometimes things just slipped over her head, especially since they had returned back to work full time and everything was normal yet chaotic again.

"I'll put your things in anyway." AJ waved her hand, "Grandpa Dan is picking you up today after school and then me and daddy will come get you after, ok?" She smiled as Nova nodded.

"Is grandpa Dan making me dinner?" Nova asked.

"If you're hungry. Or you can wait until you get back here with us." AJ said, "You decide." She shrugged.

"Ok." Nova nodded, continuing to eat her cereal, "Where is daddy?" She looked around.

"He was taking a phone call." AJ said whilst frantically tidying up the kitchen, glancing over at Nova who was playing with Punk's gun that was sitting on the table with his keys, "Nova!" AJ yelled as Nova threw the gun down.

"You don't have to yell!" Nova shouted back, "I was only looking." She mumbled as AJ sighed, placing her hand on her forehead, feeling the room spinning.

"Just don't touch it." AJ warned as Punk came back into the kitchen.

"What's all the noise in here?" Punk asked.

"Mommy is shouting at me because I touched your gun but I was only looking and I know not to touch the little button part because that hurts people." Nova said as Punk turned to AJ who just shook her head.

"Yeah, well just don't touch it at all, babe. Ok?" Punk flicked her chin playfully, walking over to AJ.

"We're gonna need to sit them elsewhere in the morning." AJ said. They'd always had a routine of sitting their things on the kitchen table in the morning before they left, but since they had a curious and stubborn daughter, perhaps that needed to change.

"She won't touch it again." Punk nodded, "That was Matson on the phone. The… DNA results came back." Punk said.

"Took them long enough." AJ shook her head, "And?"

"Yeah, that's my dad and my half-brothers." Punk nodded as AJ placed her hand on his arm, "No, I'm ok." He assured her, not wanting any sympathy, "I know who my family are and it's not them. They're not even in my mind anymore." He said.

"It's ok to think about it, though." AJ assured him, squeezing his arm comfortingly, "Talk to me about it whenever you want to. I'm here." She nodded as he smiled, kissing her head softly.

"You ok?" He asked her, running his hand through her hair at the side.

"No, this case is bothering me." AJ shook her head, "And my head is killing me and she is… picking up guns." AJ sighed pointing over to Nova.

"She's just a kid. She's curious." Punk said, "And we'll figure this case out together. Just because I'm commissioner doesn't mean I'm not your partner anymore." He smiled to her.

He'd gotten the commissioner job last month after going for a few interviews and going through a few drills and meetings. Nothing had really changed besides feeling like he was ranked a little bit higher than everyone else, which was always great for his ego. But he wasn't acting like a boss, he was happy to let everyone get on with their work, as long as they were doing it properly, and so far he'd only been out of town once, which he managed to facetime AJ and Nova for at least an hour before Nova went to sleep.

"I don't get it, though." AJ said, "An eighteen-year-old girl shows up dead by a lake. Why would the killer not put her in the lake? Was he trying to and then someone spotted him?" AJ said, practically speaking to herself.

"Well we got a list of her close friends and family. We'll check more out today." He assured her, "Meds?" He asked her.

"Uh huh." AJ nodded to him with a smile, "Go on out to the car. I'll be out behind you." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"Ok, pudding." Punk turned to Nova who jumped down from the chair and grabbed her bag that was hanging up, "You ready to go learn some stuff?" He asked her, helping her put her bag on.

"Yeah, we're learning about the water cycle." Nova told him, taking his hand as Punk nodded, strapping his gun onto his belt along with his other things.

"Yeah?" Punk said as she nodded, "What's the water cycle?" He asked, walking out of the apartment with her as Nova began telling him about the water cycle whilst AJ stood in the kitchen, opening up the top cupboard as she took out her empty tub of pills that had been empty for two months, placing the tub back in and closing the cupboard door over.

She rushed over to the table, placing her coat on, flicking her hair out from being tucked in, grabbing her things and leaving the apartment in a rush.

* * *

After dropping Nova off at school, such a blessed thing Punk thanked himself lucky he could do now, he and AJ headed to the station. Being back at work actually helped them settle back into family life a lot better. It was like they were regaining a normal routine.

"Did Matson say why the results took so long to get back to you?" AJ asked as they got out of the car at the station and headed down the pathway to the door.

"He just said it took a while for it to get back to his office. He apologised but… I mean, the guy is probably busy enough." Punk said.

"And how do you really feel about it all?" AJ asked him, "C'mon, you can talk to me." She squeezed his hand.

"Really, I'm ok." Punk assured her, "Look, yeah, it sucks that my biological dad is a prick, but even if he was an angel, he was never going to be my dad." Punk shrugged, "I got a dad. That's just the way it is." He said, confident enough to push this all to the back of his head. He had so much good in his life finally that he could enjoy. A new position in the station. Having his girlfriend and daughter by his side. Having his friends with him. His dad. In fact, just being there back in Chicago felt like a gift. He didn't have time to shed a thought on the other side of his biological family.

"You're strong." She smiled, kissing his arm. She didn't know how she'd feel if she knew her father was a man so evil and terrifying.

"Yeah, well I'm only strong with you." He smiled down to her.

"Oh, c'mon. It's 8am. Don't have me puking rainbows this early." She said as he chuckled. Even though the past two months had been crazy with everything going on with Punk's promotion and the different cases they were working on, she did feel like things were getting back to slight normality, even if she was skipping her doctor's appointments to pay more attention to the cases she was working on.

"Ladies first." Punk opened the main door to the station for her as she smiled.

"Thank you." AJ nodded to him, walking on into the station as he followed, passing Marie at the front desk as they wandered further into the station where Dean immediately jumped out in front of them.

"Hey." Dean said, "No one paged you both?" He asked, noticing how calm they looked.

"Paged us about what?" Punk asked.

"Another body was found last night." Dean said, "Female. Same age. Same stab wounds as the girl by the lake." Dean nodded as AJ ran her hands through her hair.

"Where was she found?" Punk asked.

"In a parking lot outside a bar." Dean said, handing them over the folder of what they had on it so far as AJ took it and opened it up.

"Where was this girl's whereabouts before she was killed?" AJ asked Dean.

"We're not sure. I'm just in, I thought someone would have paged you right away." He said as AJ sighed.

"Any witnesses? What time was she killed?" AJ asked.

"Early hours of the morning. So far, no witnesses. The man who found her was out with his dog, he took a short cut through the parking lot and found her, called 911."

"He found her this morning?" AJ asked.

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

"Ok, I wanna talk to him." AJ said as Dean nodded.

"What about the bar?" Punk asked, "Any cameras pick up on anything?" He asked.

"No. Blind spot." Dean shrugged as Punk shook his head.

"So, we think this is linked to the girl at the lake?" AJ turned to Punk.

"Looks like it." Punk said, taking the folder from her as he looked at the pictures of the body, "Where's Rocky?" Punk asked Dean.

"He's already getting a run on her. Family and friends. Interests." Dean nodded, "You two should go down and look at the scene."

"Yeah." AJ agreed, "Let me go put this in my office." She said, taking the folder back from Punk as she walked to her office.

"Doesn't look good." Dean shook his head.

"Yeah, no kidding." Punk sighed, looking around at the station to make sure everyone was busy, "We need to have the scope on these girls lives by this afternoon. See if there's any similarities or patterns in their lives or day-to-day actions. If so, call me or Ape." Punk said.

"On it." Dean patted him on the back, walking back to his desk whilst AJ re-joined Punk.

"You ready?" Punk asked her.

"Ready as I'll ever be." AJ nodded, walking out of the station with Punk to go check out the scene outside the bar to try and pick up on anything.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	31. Coincidence

**Coincidence**

* * *

"There's barely any blood here." AJ said, crouched down at the scene of the crime that had been taped off, "She couldn't have been attacked here. Just dumped." She shook her head, standing up as Punk put his hands on his hips.

"Why put her here?" Punk looked around with confusion.

"Well it's obvious whoever the killer is, isn't hiding the bodies." AJ said, "It's almost like he or she is trying to make it obvious that they want the bodies found." She said, "Dumping a body beside a lake is basically screaming for someone to find. It's like they're saying, I could have put her in the water but instead I'm showing you her." AJ said, "And then here… it's an open space. People are gonna walk by this strip of road to get to the bar." She said, "Whoever it is, wants the bodies to be found." AJ shook her head as Punk nodded. She really always was thinking five steps ahead of everyone else.

"Why females? Why both aged twenty-one?" Punk shrugged, "Why the exact same wounds?" He shook his head.

"I don't know." AJ shook her head, ducking back underneath the tape as they walked off from the scene where forensics were still looking around, "Someone got something against females aged twenty-one around here?" AJ shrugged.

"Looks like it." Punk nodded, watching as AJ placed her hand on her forehead, "Hey, you alright?" He asked her worriedly, "You don't look so good."

"Just a headache." AJ waved her hand, shaking her head as if trying to shake the headache off, "I barely slept last night."

"Well that's not good." He shook his head, "You wanna take an early day?" He asked her.

"No, of course not." AJ shook her head, "I'm fine. Stop fussing." She said as Punk's phone began to ring.

He picked up immediately noticing it was Dean, talking to him whilst AJ looked around at the bar curiously. It seemed a little coincidental that the body had been put at a blind spot where the bar's outside cameras didn't pick up on.

"We got something." Punk announced, hanging up as AJ turned back around, "Both girls were orphans growing up. Had foster parents obviously but… both orphans." Punk nodded.

"Could be just a coincidence." AJ said.

"Or it could be on purpose." Punk said as she nodded.

"Serial killers tend to… think they're saving their victims from some sort of pain. Could be… saving them from the pain of having no family growing up." AJ shrugged as Punk nodded, "The killer could be an orphan themselves." AJ nodded, "Did Dean say about the girls whereabouts yesterday during the day?" She asked.

"No, they're still working on it. And we know the girl from the lake was on her way home from work when she was taken." He said, "Could be the same for this girl too."

"Ok, we should get a list of people who grew up in an orphanage within a five-mile radius." AJ said, "Check their records and take it from there." She said as Punk nodded, taking out his phone to call Rocky whilst AJ turned back to the bar, glancing at it and shaking her head.

* * *

"So our girl from the bar, she was on her way home from a friend's house. The last person to see her was her friend Molly. As far as we know, she had a pretty simple life. Good friends. A job. A life." Dean sighed, later that day standing in AJ's office with her whilst she drew up on her board, "The one common factor that sticks out is that they were both orphans."

"That's not enough for us to work with here." AJ sighed, tossing her board marker on her desk and placing her hands in her hair, "The killer wants us to find the bodies, but he's killing them at night, so he still wants to be hidden. The killer stabs the victims three times, twice one either side and then in the stomach. Could that mean something?" She asked.

"Maybe, in a psychotic serial killers mind. To us, he's just stabbing them three times." Dean said.

"Well you gotta think like a psychotic serial killer." AJ said as Dean watched her pace up and down whilst Rocky entered the office.

"Here is the list of orphans within a five-mile radius for you." Rocky said, handing her the piece of paper as AJ took it from him, "I looked them all up, pretty normal people."

"All the more reason to be suspicious of them." AJ said, "Where is Phil?" She said, looking out the office glass windows into the station.

"He's on a phone conference call." Dean said, "In one of the board rooms." He said.

"Can't that wait?" AJ shook her head as Dean watched her.

"Not when a full board are wanting to talk to him, no." Dean said, "What's wrong with you? You don't seem right." He asked her up front.

"I'm fine." AJ said, "I just don't want to wake up tomorrow and have another dead body found." She told them.

"None of us do." Rocky said, "We're doing all we can. Keep a cool head, yeah?" He said as AJ just nodded, "Do you think the killer is an orphan themselves?" Rocky asked her whilst trying to understand her notes on the board behind her.

"I do." AJ nodded, "Or it's just a coincidence that these girls are both orphans, but it makes sense." She said, "I want officers on all these people's homes." She lifted the piece of paper with the list of names, "Just check things out, anything suspicious let me know." She said.

"I'm on it." Dean said, taking the list from her to go split officers up into checking things out.

"Autopsy results." Seth walked into the office as AJ looked up eagerly, taking the two envelopes and opening them up, sitting down at her desk whilst Rocky sat on his laptop, doing what he done best and hunting for answers.

"Oh my God." AJ said as she looked at the results, Rocky and Seth looking over at her nervously, "They were both pregnant." She looked up at them, "Did their families know?"

"Well obviously not." Seth said, "Let me see." He said as AJ handed him over the results. They knew the cause of death was the stab wounds, but the bodies were examined of course for any DNA that could be found, which there wasn't.

"Both of them?" Rocky sighed as AJ nodded, leaning back on her chair and running her hands over her face.

"That's gotta be a coincidence, right?" AJ said, "How the hell would the killer know when their families and friends didn't even know." She said.

"Stalker maybe." Seth said, "Damn, that's rough." He shook his head, sitting down the papers back on AJ's desk.

"So pregnant orphans, that's what the motive is?" AJ shook her head, "Makes sense now why it was two women." She said, "Fuck." She groaned, "I want to know when these girls and if they were at the doctors or the hospital, and I wanna see or know if they bumped into anyone whilst they were there." AJ said as Seth nodded, walking out of the office, "This is fucked up." AJ shook her head to Rocky, turning back to her board and writing the word pregnant in bold capitals.

* * *

"That one is wrong, try again." AJ said, sitting next to Nova later that night, helping her with her homework whilst she done her own work, checking the five-year-old's work every few minutes.

"Again?" Nova groaned, "I just fixed that one." Nova said.

"Sound it out. Remember your double letters too." AJ winked to give her a hint.

"Oh." Nova scurried back to the paper once she remembered as Punk smiled keeping an eye on dinner, "Better?" She showed her mother.

"Perfect." AJ smiled, "Now try the next page." She said as Nova smiled to herself and turned the page over of her homework book, "Phil, none of this makes sense." AJ sighed, looking at her own work spread across the table, "Two innocent and pregnant girls were killed. Who… Who has the motive to do that?" She shook her head.

"Could be a coincidence that they were both pregnant." Punk said, "I'd stick with the orphan motive for now. I mean… these girls families didn't even know they were pregnant." Punk said, "A spontaneous killer isn't gonna know."

"Maybe it wasn't spontaneous." AJ said, "Maybe it was planned. Maybe the killer saw them at the clinic or the doctors. I have Seth checking hospitals and doctor's security footage for the past few weeks." She said, "Those poor girls." AJ sighed to herself.

"We don't know anything for sure yet." Punk said.

"That's the problem." AJ said, "What if we wake up tomorrow and another pregnant girl has been killed?" AJ asked.

"Don't think about the worst-case scenario." Punk said, "How do we know the killer knew they were pregnant? We don't." Punk said as AJ paused.

"The stabbings." AJ said, scrambling through her papers, "Two on either side and one on the stomach. That's what the stabbings show. The killer knows they were pregnant. If the killer was just out to kill them, they'd go for anywhere, wouldn't they?" AJ shrugged as Punk nodded. She always talked a good talk.

"Morbid, isn't it?" Punk sighed, rubbing his hand over his beard.

"It's evil." AJ spat with disgust, "And we're gonna find whoever it is." She said.

"Are you two talking about work again?" Nova huffed, resting her cheek on the kitchen table tiredly as they both turned to her, "You always talk about work. Can't we talk about me?" She asked them as they both laughed.

"We talk about you all the time." Punk said, "Spell Mississippi." He said smugly as she looked at him with confusion and then proceeded to spell the word out without fault.

"M.I.S.S.I.S.S.I.P.P.I." Nova pointed at him and laughed, "You think I'm silly, daddy." She said as Punk shook his head.

"We should enter her in some spelling bees. Make some money from her." Punk nodded to AJ who smiled, running her hand through Nova's hair with a smile. She was a bright little girl, she was very proud of her, they both were.

* * *

Later that night, Punk was bathing Nova in the bathroom. Nova had become a lot more comfortable with Punk in the past two months on the basis of letting him bath her and put her to bed. He was very much becoming a big part of her life, just as AJ was. Even though they hit a bump on the road when she saw him unleash on Marty when they came to the apartment, she seemed to have been able to trust him. She would always trust him. He was her father. The only man she'd ever trust.

AJ stuck her head into the bathroom where Punk was sitting on the toilet seat whilst Nova was in the bath. He was looking over the case to see if there was anything they weren't picking up on.

"We're obsessed." AJ groaned as she watched Punk look up from the folders on his lap, watching him laugh a little.

"Healthy obsession." Punk nodded, "You going somewhere?" He laughed a little upon noticing her with her coat on and her car keys in her hand.

"I left some things at the station that I need to go pick up." AJ told him, "You want anything whilst I'm out?" She asked him.

"Ice-cream!" Nova exclaimed, "Get ice-cream, mommy." She looked up at her mother.

"Alright, stinky. Mint?" She said as Nova nodded, "Mint?" She turned to Punk who nodded too, "Any other requests?" She asked them.

"No, that's all." Nova said as AJ smiled.

"No, we're good." Punk smiled, "You need some air?" He asked her. He knew sometimes she had to get out of the apartment for some air.

"Uh… yeah, a little." AJ nodded, "This is a… brutal case." She said as he nodded.

"Yeah, it's bad." Punk agreed, "But we'll get to the bottom of it. We always do." He smiled to her with assurance as she nodded. Her job still meant the world to her, he knew that. Perhaps she lost her passion when he was 'dead' for four years, but the passion and determination was still there. For both of them.

"Is it like a Scooby-Doo mystery?" Nova asked them, faintly listening in to their conversations, most of the time not bothering to listen.

"It's exactly like that." Punk nodded as AJ smiled.

"Ok, I won't be long." She said as Punk nodded, watching as she left, turning back to Nova who began to chat away to him.

AJ left the apartment and got into the car, pulling out of the usual space and driving along the dark road, taking a few turns as she kept her alert eyes on the road ahead, eventually pulling in to the bar where the second victim was found in this unsolved mystery, like Nova had put it, even in her childish manner.

She parked the car and walked into the bar, acting as nonchalant as she could. The bar was pretty quiet but full enough to look around at the people in it. She knew it was a bar in which had a lot of locals.

She walked up to the bar, taking a look around closely before the woman behind the bar approached her.

"What can I get you, honey?" She smiled.

"Uh… a water please." AJ smiled back, continuing to discreetly look around, trying to notice if anyone was on their own.

"There you go." The woman slid across the water to her as AJ smiled.

"Thank you." She nodded, taking the glass of water and walking off to find a seat, sitting in the corner as she watched everyone on high alert. She was making sure every box was ticked, and there was something about this place that was drawing her in.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	32. Consumed

**Consumed**

* * *

AJ got home later that night after spending some time at the bar, walking into the quiet apartment as Punk turned around from the couch and looked across at her.

"It's 1am." Punk folded his arms, "Nova was excited for her ice-cream." He said as AJ gasped and placed her hand on her forehead.

"I completely forgot." AJ shook her head as Punk looked at her.

"Looks like you forgot the things at the station too?" He shook his head, "Where were you? Really?" Punk asked her.

"I was at the station." AJ nodded casually, walking off and placing her coat over on one of the kitchen chairs.

"April, don't lie to me." Punk shook his head, walking over to her as she sighed, "Where the hell were you? It's 1am."

"I was at the bar. Where one of the girls was killed outside. It has to be someone who… who knows that it was a blind spot beside the bar. It could be a local." AJ said, "I had to go check it out."

"No, April. You didn't have to do anything." Punk said, "You have to learn how to separate your home life and your work life. We can't… We can't bring it home like this. Nova even tells us how much we talk about work." Punk said, "When we walk through that apartment door, we should forget about everything."

"No, we shouldn't." AJ said, "There are people dying out there." She said, "Young girls and their unborn babies. We have to start making progress for this. We can't just sit around." She shook her head frantically.

"You can't go to bars at 11 o'clock at night and just stay there looking at people. The killer isn't gonna come slap you in the face and introduce themselves." Punk said, "In fact, whoever it is, probably is in hiding, not sitting having a pint at a bar."

"I just wanted to have a look around." AJ said, "It's my job. Ok. I'm nosey, I like to know what people are doing and why they're doing it." She said.

"Not at this time of night, April." Punk shook his head, "Think about your health, here. You need a routine, and sleep. Those are the two biggest things that help you and you're neglecting both of them." He said.

"No, I'm not." AJ shook her head, knowing fine well that she was, "Just let me do my job, ok." AJ warned him, "Either help me or… go back to conference calls and meetings." She said as he rolled his eyes and folded his arms, "But I am finding this killer. Sitting doing nothing isn't gonna help me find anything." She said.

"Working on zero sleep isn't gonna help you find anything either. You're gonna exhaust yourself." He said, "Baby, I just worry about you when you get like this." He said. It wasn't like this was new. He'd known her for the longest time and this was always the way she acted with highly intensified cases.

"Get like what?" AJ folded her arms.

"You get all… fixed on a case and you concentrate on it more than your health and your own life." He said, "You can't act like that."

"Yeah, well you can't tell me what to do." She said

"I can, actually. I can take you off the case." He threatened as she chuckled sadistically.

"I was waiting for this." AJ nodded, "I really was. Go ahead then. Use your power and shrink me." AJ said.

"What has gotten into you?" Punk shook his head, "Are you sure you're taking your meds?" He asked her. He always hated to ask her that, he felt like it was patronising but he had to ask her. She didn't seem herself at all.

"Yes, I'm taking my meds!" AJ yelled at him, "Not everything revolves around me being bipolar. Can't I… Can't I freak out and sink my teeth into this case without being accused of having a manic episode?" She asked him.

"April, I only care about you. I don't want you to hurt yourself." He shook his head.

"I don't need you to take care of me, ok? I went four years without you and I done just fine." She reminded him as he nodded.

"I'm not trying to take care of you, I want you to take care of yourself." Punk nodded, "Don't let this case consume you. Please." He said, "Or I will take you off it. For your own good." He said as AJ shook her head.

"You're such a jerk." She spat, pushing by him, "Such a jerk." She repeated, rushing into their bedroom and closing the door over as Punk sighed, running his hands over his face tiredly.

* * *

"You said you'd take her off the case?" Dean cringed, sitting with Punk at his desk whilst Punk vented he and AJ's fight to Dean the next day.

"I thought that would make her listen but…" Punk shrugged, looking over at AJ's office where he saw her busy, "This shit makes her unhealthy. Until she finds whoever the killer is or gets a big lead on who it is, she just puts her entire self into it." He shook his head.

"That's just who she is, though. She's always been like that." Dean shrugged.

"I know she has but… I mean, bars at 1am? Seriously?" Punk turned to Dean, "And the fact that she lies to me about it when obviously I'll know. It's like she lies to me and knows that I'll find out, but does it anyway." He said.

"Did you talk to her about taking it easy?" Dean asked him.

"Yeah. It just turned into a fight." Punk shook his head.

"Would you really take her off the case?" Dean asked.

"If she continues to carry on the way she is. Letting the case take over her life. Then yeah." Punk nodded as Dean sighed.

"I don't think she'd ever forgive you." Dean said, "I mean that is exactly why she didn't want you to take the commissioner role probably."

"It's not even about that or my job. This is about her not being able to leave her work at the office. I mean, yeah it's fine to look at some things when you go home, but not the way she does, man." Punk shook his head, "She's barely sleeping. And she doesn't fucking listen, that's her problem."

"Well then maybe you gotta let her… get on with it. I mean, when has she ever left a case unsolved? There is a method to her madness." Dean shrugged.

"No. I'm not gonna have Nova see her like this." Punk shook his head, "What the hell did she do when I was gone? Was she like this?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Dean shrugged as Punk sighed, "But once a case is solved, it's like she just jumps back into normality." He said.

"Because she's not stressed." Punk said, "When she's stressed she gets all…" Punk shook his head as Dean nodded.

"Look, I'm not playing couples therapist. Maybe try having an actual conversation with her and not a fight." Dean said.

"It just ends up a fight, there's no point." Punk shook his head as she listened to AJ's office door open, watching her walk down the station and approach them.

"Rocky got me inside information from the hospital on the two girls. They'd both been for appointments but they were both really early in their pregnancies, that's probably why their families and friends didn't know." AJ told them, "Nothing showed up on the security footage. They just walked right in and out of the maternity unit, which means… someone probably watched them go in, to figure out they were pregnant." AJ nodded.

"Did Seth get checks ran on the list of orphans within a five-mile radius?" Punk asked her.

"Yeah, nothing worth looking at came up." AJ shook her head, "I'm beginning to think the orphan part is more of a coincidence than the pregnant part." AJ said, "What do you guys think?" She asked them.

"I think whoever it is needs locked up forever if they purposely killed those girls because they were pregnant." Dean shook his head as Punk agreed.

"What do you think?" Punk asked her curiously.

"I think that if we don't start pulling on threads here then there's gonna be another body found soon. And I don't want that." She said, "I think it's a woman who is the killer." She told them.

"Well you can't make that assumption when we don't know anything." Punk said.

"That's why I said I think." AJ snapped as Dean looked at them both.

"Look." Dean said, "I don't know what the hell is wrong with you two, but you gotta leave all of this at home. We have a job to do here. You two always come through with results when you work together, so do me a favour and quit acting like five-year olds." Dean said, "Nova behaves better than the both of you." He shook his head, walking away as AJ folded her arms.

"He's right." Punk nodded, "It's unprofessional." He turned to her, "We have a job to do."

"Yeah, and I'm trying to do it but you're trying to pull me back." AJ said.

"Yeah, at 11pm at night, April." Punk said, "We do our work now, in here, and when we go home to Nova, we forget about this." He nodded.

"I can't do that, Phil." AJ shook her head, "Not until I figure this out." She said.

"This job is going to kill you, April. If you carry on this way."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." AJ scoffed, walking with him down the station back to her office, "I have solved every case I have ever been assigned. There is a reason for that." She said, "And the reason isn't because I'm good, it's because I have you to help me." AJ said, "And I need your help." She said, standing outside her office, "Dean is right, if we work together, we might get better results. Instead of… fighting like cat and dog." She shook her head.

"I will always help you." Punk said, "I just don't want you to make yourself sick, like you did with your sister's case." He said.

"Yeah, and I solved that, didn't I?" AJ smiled up at him as he shook his head but with a smile, "Let's just figure this out, ok?" She said. She didn't want to fight with him, but this was always who she was, she put her everything into her job and figuring out cases, and he knew that.

"Ok." Punk nodded, walking into her office with her.

* * *

AJ and Punk spent most of the day, turning into night in AJ's office, banging their heads together and trying to work their way around the case with what little evidence they had building up. So far, they figured that the killer was at the hospital watching the two girls who had been killed, but nothing could be picked up on any leering figures, and the girls never bumped into anyone in the hospital.

"What if we go back to the fact that the killer didn't know they were pregnant?" Punk said, pacing up and down in AJ's office, "Maybe the killer wasn't at the hospital watching them, maybe it is the orphan motive?" Punk asked AJ who shook her head.

"The stab wounds are so precise, I'm telling you." AJ shook her head, "The killer knows they were pregnant."

"That's just an assumption, we don't know for a fact, so we gotta look at the bigger picture." Punk said as she nodded.

"What if it's both? Pregnant girls who grew up as orphans?" AJ shrugged.

"What if it's just females?" Punk said as AJ raised her eyebrows, "What? If we're talking about a bigger picture here? It could be just coincidental that they were both pregnant and orphans."

"That's just too much of a coincidence, Phil." AJ shook her head.

"Still gotta consider it." Punk said as AJ nodded, watching as Dean walked into their office.

"Uh… bad news." Dean said as AJ and Punk glanced at him, "Another body."


	33. Unaware

**Unaware**

* * *

"This was where the body was found?" AJ asked a uniformed officer as her and Punk showed up to the third crime scene, in the woods, where the third body had been found.

"Yeah." The officer nodded to them, "Couple of kids came across it." He said, "Same stab wounds as the other two bodies." He said as AJ placed her hands in her coat pockets, turning to Punk.

"This isn't good." Punk shook his head.

"What about these tracks?" AJ pointed out to the tyre tracks made through the muck, "The killer must have dumped her here using a car or a truck." She walked over to the tracks as Punk joined her, watching her crouch down.

"Great. So, we know they use a car. That narrows it down." Punk shook his head, "Has the body been identified yet?" Punk turned one of the uniformed officers whilst AJ looked around near the tracks.

"Yeah, her parents identified her." The officer nodded as AJ looked over.

"Her real parents?" AJ asked, walking over to join Punk again.

"Yeah, she's not adopted like the other two were." The officer shrugged.

"How long until the autopsy is done?" AJ asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Should be in by tomorrow." The officer nodded, "We're finishing up here and heading back to the lab."

"So, the killer is killing the victims elsewhere and then moving the bodies out." AJ turned to Punk as they began to walk off through the woods, "They could be killing their victims in the one, constant place, and then moving them out." She said as Punk nodded.

"We'll know more in the morning." Punk said as AJ turned to him.

"We need to wait for the autopsy." She said, walking back out onto the street where their car was parked.

"You heard John, the results will be there tomorrow morning. There's not much else we can do right now." He said.

"I'm not waiting around on another body showing up." AJ shook her head.

"May I remind you we have a daughter sleeping at my dad's right now?" Punk asked her, "Or did you forget?"

"I didn't forget." AJ spat, "That's three killings, Phil." AJ shook her head, "I need to… I need to keep looking into things. I need to know if this girl was at the hospital too." AJ said frantically, running her shaking hands through her hair.

"We don't even know if she was pregnant yet." Punk said, "C'mon, let's just get home." He nodded to her, trying not to make it a big deal as they stood at the back of their car.

"No, I have to go back to the station. I need to know where this girl was last seen, and I need to speak to her parents, I need to know what she done for a living… I mean, she wasn't an orphan so that's clearly not the pattern here, is it?" AJ rambled on.

"Come back from the road." Punk encouraged her as she just ignored him.

"You could be right." AJ nodded, "Maybe it is just females that the killer is going after." AJ said, "Or if the latest body was pregnant then… that has to be the pattern, right? She must have been at the hospital that day." AJ nodded.

"Ok, but we'll figure this all out tomorrow morning, first thing." Punk nodded, "It's getting late."

"No, don't you get it?" AJ shook her head, "This is where the killer makes all the moves." AJ said. She was so fixed on thinking about everything that she didn't notice how far she was backing away, "We have to… we have to go back to the station and think about new possibilities. And we need highlighters to highlight the similarities within the killings…" She continued to speak in a rush as Punk shook his head. She wasn't right at all. He thought it was just her being her usual stubborn self, but she wasn't well, at all, in fact, she looked like she was at the peak of a manic cycle.

"Hey, come away from the road." Punk encouraged her nervously, "We're gonna go home and we're gonna see Nova." Punk said, "And you're gonna get some sleep." He smiled as she shook her head.

"No. I'm not going to sleep!" AJ yelled at him as he tried to take her hand to pull her towards him, only causing her to push him away and move further back.

The next thing Punk knew was a car speeding around the corner, trying to break suddenly when they saw AJ on the road, not having enough time unfortunately.

"April!" Punk yelled as AJ turned around, the car lights shining at her as she paused like a deer stuck on the road…

* * *

"Ok, we have a female late twenties, hit by a car, possible trauma to the head." A doctor said whilst rushing AJ down the hospital on a gurney, blood trickling down the side of her head whilst Punk followed feeling sick to his stomach as he watched AJ's eyes roll around.

"Is she gonna be ok? Is it just a cut on her head? All that blood?" Punk followed whilst looking at the blood running down the side of AJ's face.

"Sir, we need you to stay back here." The doctor paused Punk whilst the other doctors rushed AJ away, "You can't come through here. We'll keep you updated." He said, rushing away as Punk stood helplessly in the centre of the corridor, running his hands through his hair, trying to take deep breaths to calm himself down. He felt like his heart was going to jump out of his mouth.

He took his phone out with shaking, bloody hands and called his dad.

"Phil, is everything ok?" Dan answered, wondering why AJ and Punk were so late, "Nova is still fast asleep here."

"Hey, dad." Punk tried to keep composure as he walked down the hospital corridor, "There's been a little bit of an accident. AJ's in hospital right now." He ran his hand over his hair, "Could you… Could you keep Nova at your place tonight?" He asked.

"Of course." Dan said, "What happened? Is she ok?" Dan asked worriedly.

"She got hit by a car." Punk shook his head, "I should have… I should have just grabbed her. It came around the corner so fast I didn't have time." Punk said.

"Why was she on the road" Dan asked, "Is she in surgery?" He wondered.

"She was… She wasn't looking. I tried to get her to come back but she went further onto the road. She's-She's not well, dad. I don't know what to do." Punk sighed with a lump in his throat. He and AJ had dealt with their fair share of problems, and Punk had saw AJ had her lowest and highest, but this was beginning to get out of control. Even his control. AJ was so caught up in the case and thinking about it, she was backing away, not even aware she was on the road. It was clear to anyone that she wasn't well. Mentally.

"Ok, just calm down." Dan spoke through the phone, "Don't panic. She's in the best place now. Ok? She's safe where she can be treated for her injuries and for her bipolar." He said as Punk nodded to himself, "I'll get Nova off to school tomorrow. Don't worry about her, she's fine with me." He assured him.

"There was a lot of blood." Punk shook his head.

"Do you need me to come down?" Dan asked, not being able to help hear the fear on his son's voice as he spoke.

"No… no, I'm fine." Punk nodded, "I'll be fine." He sniffed.

"Ok, son." Dan nodded, "Call me when you hear any news, ok?" He said.

"Ok." Punk nodded, hanging up and putting his phone back in his pocket, watching as he saw Dean and Seth run down the corridor.

"What the hell happened?" Dean shook his head.

"She got hit by a car." Punk said, "We were checking out the third scene, and she just lost it… she ended up on the road and a car hit her." He sighed, his hands shaking.

"Ok, sit down." Seth nodded, guiding Punk over to the row of seats, "Here, let me get you a drink." He said, wandering off to fill up a cup of water.

"Is she in surgery just now?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, well I think so." Punk said, "They just took her away." He shook his head, "It's my fault I should have pulled her in."

"Don't do that." Dean shook his head, "Don't blame yourself. It's clear she's not been herself. This was just… an accident." He said as Seth came over with the cup of water.

"Here, man. Take a drink." Seth said as Punk took the water and took a drink, "She's in good hands here, ok? Don't worry about anything else. The station is working around the clock for this case. Rocky is already running the specs on the third killing. Don't worry." He patted him on the arm.

"I should have done something." Punk shook his head, "I know she's not been right for weeks. Ever since we went back to work full time." He said, "I should have checked on her more or-"

"Hey, this isn't your fault." Dean said, "It's not. So stop it. It's an accident." He warned as Punk sighed, rolling his head back against the wall behind him.

"We'll stay here with you until the doctors come talk to you." Seth nodded.

"No, you guys should go home. I'm fine here." He nodded, calming himself down little by little, "Really, I'm ok. You guys should go." He said, "I'll call with any news." He assured them both.

"Are you sure?" Dean asked.

"I'm sure." Punk nodded, "Go." He said as they nodded, embracing him before leaving the hospital where he sat in the waiting room of a and e.

* * *

Punk sat in the waiting room for a few hours. Most people around him had fallen asleep whilst waiting on news from doctors, but he refused to fall asleep, he couldn't, not without answers. He almost jumped up through the ceiling when a doctor approached him.

"Phil?" The doctor asked as Punk nodded, "Phil, I'm Doctor Harrison." He extended his hand as Punk shook it.

"Tell me she's ok." Punk pleaded as the doctor nodded with a smile.

"She's ok." The doctor smiled as Punk sighed with relief, "A bunch of stitches and a nasty concussion. She's a lucky woman." He said, "Come walk with me to her room." He encouraged as Punk began to walk with him, "We called April's doctor, and… she told us she hasn't been showing up to appointments, and she hasn't renewed her medication prescription in over two months." Harrison said as Punk sighed and shook his head, "She was most likely in a manic episode. It sounds like she was completely unaware she was even on a road." He said, walking down the corridor with Punk.

"Yeah, it looked that way." Punk sighed, "She told me she was taking them."

"Sometimes we all just hit a bump on the road. According to April's doctor, she's a great patient who always stays on top of her meds. This is just a bump." He assured him, "Do you know how long she's been manic for?"

"Uh… a few weeks maybe." Punk sighed, "I should have noticed."

"No, don't blame yourself." The doctor shook his head, "She could be manic and hide it very well. Has she been under any stress lately?"

"Uh yeah… work. She's a detective." Punk nodded.

"Ahh." The doctor nodded, "I'm assuming she's leading the case of those two poor girls." He said.

"Three now." Punk sighed, "We found a body tonight, just before April was hit. Maybe that's what… maybe that's what triggered her."

"Oh, no." The doctor sighed, "Well it seems likely that's what happened." He said, "We're going to keep her in hospital for a few days to keep an eye on her. Usually with a manic episode, follows the depressive cycle, so we'd like to keep an eye on her." He said as Punk nodded, approaching AJ's room.

"Is she awake?" Punk asked.

"Yeah. She's awake." The doctor smiled, "We also ran some blood tests on her, just to make sure we didn't miss out on anything, and… it appears April is pregnant. By quite a few weeks actually." He said as Punk looked at him like he was headless.

"What?" Punk shook his head.

"She's pregnant." The doctor nodded with a smile, "She had the exact same look on her face when we told her." He smiled a little as Punk shook his head with confusion.

"She's pregnant?" Punk shook his head.

"Yes. Congratulations." The doctor smiled, "Perhaps a little bit of good news is something she needs." He said, "You're free to go in." He nodded as Punk gulped.

"Th-Thanks." Punk said, running his hand over his hair and shaking his head. He didn't expect to hear something like that at all.

He opened up AJ's room door, looking over at her sitting up staring at the window where the moon was visible in the dark sky. She had a drip in her hand and a whole lot of stitches down the side of her head.

"April." Punk said softly, so not to startle her as she turned around to him, "Hey." He smiled as she lifted her hand, giving him a limp wave as he walked over to her bedside to take a seat, "How you feeling?" He asked her.

"Sick." AJ admitted softly. Her concussion had made her feel nauseous and not to mention the whole part where she was pregnant.

"You're lucky." Punk said as she nodded, he could already see she was following her manic cycle with a depressive one. She looked tired and sad and he just wanted to kiss her and hold her, "I'm here." He nodded to her as she forced a smile.

"I'm pregnant." She told him as he nodded.

"I know." He said, "I know, the doctor told me." He smiled.

"And I haven't taken my meds in over two months." She confessed.

"He told me that too." Punk edged a soft smile.

"I don't… I don't lie to you." She shook her head, "I didn't mean to lie to you. I didn't want to." She admitted.

"Hey, you've not been in control of much." Punk said, "I just want you to get better" He nodded as she sighed, looking back out of the window, "Did you know you were pregnant?"

"Yeah." AJ nodded, not being able to look him in the eye. She could vaguely remember taking a pregnancy test a few weeks ago, and she felt terrible for keeping it from him, but she wasn't in control of anything.

"Why didn't you wanna tell me?" Punk sighed.

"I-I don't know what I'm doing when I'm manic." AJ turned back to him, "Ok? I… I lie to you and I don't mean to. I don't mean it." She shook her head, frustrated with herself.

"It's ok. It's ok." Punk nodded, placing his hand over the top of hers, "I'm not mad. You've just… turned a wrong corner, that's all. You'll get better." He said as she just sighed.

He watched her as she just turned back to the window, no emotion in her face as she lay sadly. It was clear she'd been unstable for a few weeks or more, and like she said, she wasn't really aware of a lot when she was manic. Now she was coming down into her depressive cycle which was actually harder to treat, and she just wanted everyone to go away.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! More coming soon on the case along with AJ's health. Will it be solved?**


	34. The Come-Down

**The Come-Down**

* * *

"Hey, how is April doing?" Rocky asked, catching up to Punk the next morning in the station.

"She's ok." Punk nodded, "She just needs rest. With the manic episode, follows a really intense depressive one so… we're trying to get through that. The doctor wants to keep her in for a few days." He said.

"That's probably for the best." Rocky nodded, "How are you? You look tired." He said.

"I spent all night at the hospital and then I went straight to my dad's this morning to take Nova to school." Punk said, "I didn't get sleep."

"Dude, that's not good." Rocky said as Punk just shook it off.

"What's the news on the latest killing?" Punk asked him, walking into AJ's office.

"Well she's not an orphan." Rocky said, "But… she was pregnant." He sighed as Punk nodded.

"And we know that she was dumped there, so the killer is obviously killing the victims somewhere and then dumping them out in open space." Punk nodded, "What about the girl's whereabouts? Where was she coming from? Where was she going? Do we know?" Punk asked Rocky, scribbling on AJ's board and rubbing some things out.

"She was finishing work, just like the first victim. She worked in a call centre. One of her colleagues was the last person to see her alive, we spoke to her and she said everything seemed normal like every other night, and they parted ways." Rocky said.

"So, the killer is potentially taking the girls from the streets, taking them away some place to kill them and then dumping them." Punk said, "Do you think it's instant kill? Any sign of struggling on the bodies? Bruises?" He asked.

"No, it seems to me like instant kill." Rocky said, "However, the way the stab wounds are so precise is strange. Maybe the killer ties them up first." He said as Punk nodded.

"What would someone have against innocent, pregnant women?" Punk sighed, "It's fucked up and now…" He bit his tongue as Rocky looked at him.

"Now what?" Rocky said.

"April is pregnant." Punk looked across at him, "It couldn't be any more fitting, really." Punk shook his head.

"She's really pregnant?" Rocky smiled as Punk nodded, "Congrats, buddy." He nodded, "That's exciting news." He smiled as Punk nodded, "You're not excited?" His smiled faded.

"Not when there's a killer out there killing pregnant women." Punk shook his head, "I don't think it's sunk in for April yet. She's not really saying much about it."

"This is just a bump in the road. You guys are great with Nova. A new baby is exciting." He smiled, "Forget about what's going on out there. April is fine. No one is gonna hurt her." He said as Punk just took a deep breath and nodded, "Let's just catch this sick fuck, yeah?"

"Yeah." Punk nodded.

* * *

Later on that day, AJ was sitting in bed in her room watching TV when she got a visitor. She felt ashamed for how out of control her health had gotten. The last time she was in hospital because of her bipolar was a long, long time ago, and she felt so irresponsible for letting herself get to this state.

She was in the peak of her depressive come-down, and just wanted to be left alone. The case had gotten to her head and now she didn't even want to hear anything about it. She just wanted to sit in the quiet room by herself. She knew Punk would have sat with her all day hadn't she told him to go home and get some sleep of his own. He was so good to her and she felt awful for the position she'd put him in… but she also knew it wasn't her fault, and she knew he wasn't mad.

"Hey." Dan smiled as he walked into her room, "Oh, sweetheart. Your head." Dan sighed as he noticed the stitches down the side of AJ's head, "I brought you some chocolates instead of flowers." He told her, holding up the bag as she smiled, turning the TV down.

"You didn't have to come see me." AJ said softly.

"Oh, please. You're like my daughter." Dan said, "Of course I had to come." He said, taking a seat by her bed, "How are you feeling?" He sighed.

"I've been better." AJ nodded, "How was Nova? Was she ok? Did she go to school ok?" She asked.

"She's fine. Phil took her to school this morning. I think he came straight from here." Dan nodded.

"He'll be tired." AJ sighed, "I feel so stupid." She shook her head.

"Hey, don't feel stupid." Dan shook his head, "It's an illness, ok? It's not your fault. The most important thing is, you're ok, you and the baby." He edged a small smile as AJ turned to him, "Phil told me." He nodded.

"I can't even look after one kid, never mind two." AJ shook her head. She was in the mindset of thinking everything was terrible, and everything was her fault, and everything was dark.

"Hey, don't be stupid." Dan said, "You're a terrific mother. Especially with what you've had to go up against." He said, "This baby is another blessing, just like Nova was." He nodded, "And once you start feeling better, and you get back into a routine, you'll realise that." He smiled.

"Has anything else came out about the case? Does Phil know anything?" AJ asked, "I promised myself I would detach myself from it… but I gotta know." She sighed.

"I'm not sure, sweetheart. I've not spoken to him." Dan said, "Just…. Just you focus on you, and getting back on your feet. There are so many officers in that station who are out doing all they can to find this killer." Dan nodded, "Your health is the most important thing right now."

"I didn't… I didn't even mean to stop taking my meds." AJ told him honestly. She felt like she had to explain herself, "I forgot to get another tub of my pills, and then I had to reschedule an appointment with my doctor, and then it just got out of control." She shook her head.

It's understandable, April." Dan said, "Don't feel like you have to blame yourself. You have such a stressful job, and you're so good at it but… sometimes it just gets too much, sometimes it can get too much for all of us." He nodded, "It's ok to fall over sometimes. The main thing is, you get back up." He nodded to her as she smiled softly.

"I feel like I let down Phil." AJ shook her head, "I lied to him about taking my pills, and I never told him I was pregnant, and I didn't mean it… when I'm manic I just… I do what's best for me at the time, and I don't think about anyone else and… I feel so bad-"

"Just stop it right now." Dan sighed, "Phil isn't angry with you about any of that. All he wants is for you to be healthy and happy. That's all that matters to him. He understands your illness and what you need, and he'll help you through this. You know he will." He said as AJ nodded.

"I think I need to… stay away from work for a few weeks." AJ nodded, "Until I'm better." She said as Dan nodded, "I don't want to feel like this." She swallowed the lump in her throat as Dan nodded.

"I think that would be the best thing for you." Dan said, "And I know how much you love your job, and how much this case has you consumed, but you're not the only one on top of it, ok? People are still looking into it." He promised her as she just nodded, rolling her head back on the pillow, "Here, have some chocolate." He said as she smiled softly.

* * *

Later that night, Punk had come to the hospital to see AJ. He was going to take Nova with him, but he figured he'd wait another day, not knowing if AJ would want her to see her just yet. He'd had a long day at the station and was still running on zero sleep, but he wanted to see her.

"Your dad came with chocolate." AJ told him as he laughed lightly.

"Good old dad." Punk smiled to her, "You still feeling shitty?" He asked her as she nodded.

"Yeah. I just… I just feel so stupid, and like everything is my fault." She shook her head.

"Nothing is your fault, baby." Punk shook his head, "If anything I should have… I should have noticed how bad you were getting, and I should have done something." He said as she shook her head.

"No, you shouldn't have to babysit me. It's not on you." AJ said, "I was telling your dad that I think I should… stay away from work for a few weeks." She nodded, "Until I can get back on my feet." She said, "And clearly this case is… not helping me." She said.

"I think that's a good idea." Punk smiled, glad to hear her make that decision on her own. It was hard for him to see her this way. It wasn't his AJ. She looked sad, and down, and not even his jokes were cheering her up much. He just wanted her to be healthy and happy again.

"Did anything come back for the third body?" She said, "I have to ask."

"Yeah, she was pregnant." Punk nodded as AJ sighed, "Not an orphan. So… we're going with the pregnant motive for now. She was further on in her pregnancy than the other two. Her parents and boyfriend knew she was pregnant." Punk said, "Last seen going home from work, like the first victim." Punk said as AJ sighed, "Is it bad I wanna lock you up in the apartment now?"

"Why would you-" AJ paused, seeing him look at her stomach, "Oh." AJ nodded, "Well I can't let that scare me." She shook her head, "I still can't believe it." She shook her head, placing her hand on her tummy.

"Me neither." Punk smiled, "I'm sure once this all blows over and… you get back on your feet, we can celebrate a little more." He said as she nodded, "Nova misses you." He said as AJ smiled tearfully.

"Can you bring her tomorrow? I want to see her." AJ nodded.

"Yeah. I was going to bring her tonight but I didn't know how you'd be feeling." He said as she nodded, "Once you get home, some rehab in the apartment with Nova might be the best thing for you." He said, "What do you think?"

"Yeah." AJ agreed. She knew herself that this had been a huge blimp in her mental health, and she had to take it seriously, and rehab herself… that meant no work for at least a few weeks, as much as it killed her to neglect the case, "You promise that you'll figure this out? I mean… you can still talk to me about it in the apartment." She nodded.

"As much as your skills are needed, we'll keep on top of things." Punk nodded, "Rocky found a lead today actually that lead to a car that was spotted driving along the road to the woods. We're looking into it." He said as she nodded.

"I'm sorry I lied to you." She shook her head, "I didn't even know I was doing it-"

"You don't have to explain yourself." Punk said, seeing tears well in her eyes, "You're so much stronger than all of this. And you'll get better and come home." Punk nodded, "As long as you're healthy and happy, that's all I'll ever care about." He said, watching her blink the tears that rolled down her cheeks, "Please don't cry." He sighed, standing up and sitting on the edge of her bed.

She just felt awful. She couldn't describe the range of emotions she went through. It had been literally like a rollercoaster, and she felt ashamed, and sad, and depressed, and embarrassed. She felt like she couldn't even do her job properly anymore. But it was just the state of mind she was in at the moment. A state of mind where she wanted to cry and wish the world away.

"Come here." Punk sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed as she gently shuffled forward and into him, cuddling him tightly as he held her tightly. The one thing she was so glad of, was that she had a boyfriend, a best friend so understanding and helpful. He was literally the best. And perhaps a part of her needed this downfall, perhaps it had been stemming since he had come back, and all of the shock that came along with it. She was just glad to have him by her side. No one understood her like he did.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for the reviews! REVIEW and let me know what you think of the chapter. More coming soon. Will AJ stay away from the case? How long will the case take to solve? WILL the case be solved? + some light-hearted moments like Nova finding out about the baby. All coming soon. Thanks for the support.**


	35. The One

**The One**

* * *

"Ok, remember be gentle with mommy, ok?" Punk said, walking down the hospital the next night with Nova holding his hand, practically dragging him along.

"Ok, daddy." Nova nodded, "But hurry I want to see her." She tugged on his had impatiently.

"Ok, ok. I'm going as fast as I can." Punk said, walking down the corridor as they finally got to AJ's room, "Ok, this one here." He pointed as Nova let go of his hand and burst into the room, seeing AJ sitting on the edge of her bed, having just gotten back from her therapy.

"Mommy!" Nova smiled with joy, running over to her mother but slowing down once remembering she had to be gentle.

"Oh, hi baby." AJ said longingly, "Come give me a hug." She said desperately, wrapping her arms around Nova tightly as the little girl jumped up onto the bed beside her, "I'm missing you so much." AJ told her as Punk smiled, closing the room door over as he walked over to AJ and Nova.

"I'm missing you, mommy." Nova said, "Woah, look at your face." She said with surprise at the stitches as AJ chuckled, "Can I touch?" She knelt up excitedly.

"You're a strange kid." Punk laughed, taking a seat by the bed. Most kids would be grossed out and scared of stitches and cuts, but not his kid.

"Ok, you can touch it but very lightly, ok. Did you wash your hands when you came in?" She asked.

"Yeah, I washed all the way up to here." She pointed to her elbow as AJ chuckled.

"You're sparkling clean." AJ smiled, "Ok, go on. Touch it lightly." She said, trusting her daughter as Nova grazed her small finger down the row of stitches down the side of AJ's face.

"Woah, it's bumpy." Nova said with fascination, "It's like when I split my head open. Only there's lots more." She said, "Were you brave, mommy? Did you not cry like I didn't cry?" She asked as AJ smiled.

"She was brave." Punk nodded, "Super brave. The bravest." Punk nodded as AJ smiled to him.

"No, I'm the bravest. Then mommy. Then you." Nova told Punk who nodded, "Mommy, when will you come home?" She played with her mother's hand softly, "Me and Ace miss you."

"I miss you and Ace too, baby." AJ sighed, "I'll be out of here in a few days." She said, kissing her daughter's head as Nova just nodded, "Hey, there's some colouring in books over by the table there, you can go colour some stuff in, if you like." AJ said as Nova nodded, jumping off the bed and running off to the small little table in the corner by the window.

"Colouring in books?" Punk smiled to AJ.

"Eve brought me them." AJ said, "Incase I got bored." She nodded as Punk smiled.

"How are you?" Punk asked her as AJ nodded.

"Restless." AJ said, "I just wanna come home now." She nodded, "I'm just back from therapy."

"Yeah? How'd it go?" He asked her.

"It was tough." AJ nodded, "But I got through it." She said, "I had a good sleep last night. I woke up feeling a little better." She admitted.

"Good." Punk smiled, "How is the head? Still sore?" He asked.

"Yeah, the pain comes and goes." AJ said, "I was really sick this morning." She said, "I was never sick with Nova." She admitted, rubbing her tummy, "The doctor said it could be all the tablets I'm on." She nodded.

"You'll feel better when you get home." Punk nodded, "Are we telling Nova yet?" He asked quietly.

"I just wanna wait a little while." AJ said, "Wait until I'm home and feeling back to my normal self." She said as Punk nodded. He understood that AJ was probably just desperate to get home now. He could see she was still obviously down, and tired, and coming down from her high, but he did see an improvement since he last saw her.

"Has the doctor spoke to you about when you can get out?" Punk asked.

"He said two or three more days. Just to make sure I've been well rested." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"You seem a lot brighter." Punk smiled, tucking a stand of her hair behind her ear, opposite to the side of her stitches. Even in baggy pyjamas with a row of stitches down her face, he still made her feel special, and like the only girl in the world.

"I had a shower this morning before breakfast." AJ nodded to him. In her depressive cycle, little things like showering and eating were a massive task, and she really felt like she was trying hard with everything.

"Good." Punk smiled, "Be the shower made you feel much better." He said as she nodded.

"It really did." AJ smiled, "How was work today?" She asked him as he looked at her wearily, "Look, it's clear that for the time being, I should stay away from work, but… you can still talk to me about it… about the case…" She nodded.

"We're not getting very far, in all honesty." Punk nodded, "The good thing is, not anymore bodies have shown up." Punk said, "We're just trying to cover all grounds." He sighed as AJ nodded, "We… did pick up on something though." He said as AJ looked across at him.

"What?" AJ asked.

"Well, the third body that was found had… actually been dead for hours before being dumped. It appears that the second body and third were killed around the same time." Punk said, "So either they were killed at the same time or…."

"There's two killers." AJ finished as Punk nodded, "What do you think?"

"I think they were killed at the same time." Punk nodded.

"But why would the killer dump one body before dumping another the next night?" AJ shook her head.

"I don't know." Punk ran his hand over his face tiredly, "Everywhere we turn we keep coming up at dead ends, and of course the press is out there scaring pregnant women, making sure they don't come out their houses." Punk rolled his eyes as AJ groaned.

"The press is always gonna be the press." AJ said, "What about the girl's families, have they come out with anything suspicious?" She asked.

"No, they were just… three innocent, normal girls." Punk shook his head, "We think they're definitely being taken at night to be killed somewhere, and then their bodies are being dumped for someone to find in the morning." Punk said.

"And what about the car you said you had a lead on? Did that come to anything?" AJ asked.

"No, dead end." Punk shook his head, "And coming to look at the track marks from the woods, it looks like it's bigger wheels, maybe like a pick-up truck or something." Punk said as AJ nodded.

"Well, all you can do is keep looking into it." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, we got eyes and ears everywhere." Punk smiled to her as she nodded.

"Mommy, look I coloured in a picture for you." Nova said, grabbing the colouring book from the table and rushing back over to her mother and father, "See, look… it's a doggy."

"Wow." Punk said, "You really tried hard at staying in the lines, didn't you?" Punk said, looking at the drawing that had more parts coloured in outside the drawing than in.

"I did, daddy." Nova nodded as AJ smiled, lifting her up onto the bed beside her.

"You wanna see the ones I coloured in?" AJ asked her as Nova nodded.

Punk smiled as he watched AJ show Nova her drawings. It was important for them to just take things slow, especially for AJ. Seeing her make this improvement, no matter how little, he was so proud. He knew her health was a struggle for her, but she was so strong and he was thankful that she knew herself that she had to take a little break from work to get herself in a better mental state. Even though he was knee deep in this tragic case, he was glad his family were all safe…

* * *

"How is April doing?" Dean asked the next day as Punk arrived at the station after dropping Nova at school.

"She's doing ok." Punk nodded, "She's coming home tomorrow. I think she just wants to be in her own bed." He said, "She's gonna take some time off work just to… get herself back together again." He said.

"Yeah, and then she'll be off soon on maternity leave." Dean said, "Can't believe you guys are having another kid." He said as Punk nodded.

"I can't believe it either, actually." Punk said. It still hadn't sunk in that AJ was pregnant. He was sure it would once AJ was home and things got back to normal.

"Does Nova know yet?" Dean asked, "About the baby?" He said.

"No, we're gonna wait until AJ is home to tell her." Punk nodded, "I don't think she's gonna be all that happy." Punk admitted with a smile as Dean laughed lightly.

"She'll come around to it I'm sure." Dean said, "Is AJ feeling good now?" He asked, standing with Punk at his desk. Punk no longer worked at a desk in the main station, he had an office like AJ in the back.

"I wouldn't say she's feeling good, but yeah, she's getting there. It just takes some time." Punk nodded.

"You deal with it all so well. Doesn't it hurt you to see her like that?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, it fucking hurts." Punk shook his head, "I wish I could trade places with her." Punk said, "All I can do is be there for her as much as I can, and I will be." He said, "Anything new on this case? Please tell me there is." He sighed, beginning to walk to his office whilst Dean walked with him.

"No, nothing new but we do have officers out looking at pick-up trucks and bigger cars in the local area. We thought we had a hit with one but… dead-end again." Dean said as Punk sighed, "We'll figure it out." He patted Punk on the back.

"No more bodies have been found." Punk said, "I'm considering that as a plus but… I'm also wondering why? I mean… were they just after three? Did they get what they wanted? Why the pause?" Punk said.

"I'm not sure." Dean shrugged, "I'm just hoping it doesn't go to a cold case."

"It better fucking not." Punk said, "In my eyes, six people have died. Three women and three unborn babies. Now we find this fucker. Just because no more bodies have showed up doesn't mean we're stumped." He said as Dean nodded, "Let's take a further look at the girls' day jobs." Punk said, "Take it from there." He said, setting the agenda for the day as Dean nodded.

* * *

"We've found the perfect one." A woman smiled, "No more searching." She said, sitting in her pick-up truck on the phone as a man spoke back.

"She'll give us exactly what we want. She's like us." The man croaked.

"No more suffering." The older woman smiled, "No more pain. We just have to wait." She said, "Our search is over. We've found the one."

* * *

 **A/N: I wonder who 'the one' is? (; Let me know what you think! More to come. I'm really out here thinking I'm writing an episode of criminal minds. Lol. More light-hearted family moments too come to, so don't worry.**


	36. Stepping Aside

**Stepping Aside**

* * *

"Ok, April. Here is your medication for the day. Separate from the others since we've included your pre-natal vitamins." A nurse smiled as she walked over to AJ who was sitting in one of the lounge rooms in the psych unit. She felt like a child being told what to do, but she knew cooperation was her quickest ticket out of here, and as far as she knew she was getting out later tonight, "What is that your making?" She asked AJ.

"Uh… it's supposed to be a house." AJ nodded, looking on at the house made out of sticks. Most of the people around her were just sitting staring into thin air, others were breaking the sticks, but she seemed to have built a mansion out of hers, "I can't get the door right." She admitted truthfully as the nurse sat down beside her at her table.

"Try turning it the other way." The nurse said, volunteering to help whilst AJ took her medication for the day, "That doesn't look too bad." She smiled as AJ nodded.

"Yeah." AJ agreed, "Thank you." She smiled pleasantly as the nurse nodded.

"It's the best one I've saw so far." The nurse smiled, "How is your head doing?" She asked.

"Itchy." AJ said, "I just want the stitches out already." She admitted truthfully.

"They'll be out soon." The nurse smiled, "How has the therapy been going?" She asked. Most of the staff were lovely, and AJ had a ton of respect for them and how patient they were with everyone. She had been moved to the psych unit immediately once she had been stitched up a few days ago after her accident. Because her accident was partly encouraged by her manic episode, her doctor referred her to the psych unit.

"Ok." AJ nodded to her, "I just really wanna go home now and be with my daughter and my boyfriend." She said. Seeing Nova yesterday just made her realise how much she longed to come home now.

"I didn't know you had a daughter." The nurse said as AJ nodded, "What age is she?"

"She's five." AJ nodded, "Her name is Nova Gabrielle." AJ smiled, "And she's just a shrunk down version of me." She laughed a little, "Which… I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, given where I am." She looked around and shook her head.

"I think it's a good thing." The nurse smiled, "And you're expecting another one." She said, "What are you hoping for?" She asked.

"A healthy baby." AJ nodded, "It really doesn't bother me what the gender is." She admitted as the nurse smiled.

"Ahh, that's what everyone says. We all know we have our preferences." The nurse said as AJ smiled.

"No, really. I'd be happy with either." AJ nodded, playing around with one of the sticks, "I think I might have to leave my job." She blurted out, her lip quivering as the nurse frowned.

"Why? Why would you think that?" The nurse shook her head.

"I can't… I can't be on my meds when I'm working." She said, "I don't see things as clearly as I do when I'm-"

"When your manic?" The nurse asked as AJ turned to her.

"It sounds crazy, I know." AJ said, "But it's the truth. When I'm on my meds it's like… everything is dulled down. I can't see any writing on the wall. And when I'm off them, things come to me, things stick out to me more clearly."

"Is that why you stopped taking them?" The nurse asked.

"Well I stopped taking them by accident and then I just… I enjoyed not taking them." AJ nodded truthfully, "The world felt a lot more fun and… wild, you know." AJ turned to her as the nurse nodded along, "I done my job better. I was having sex every night." She recalled, "Serves me right being pregnant." She shook her head as the nurse laughed.

"A lot of people, when they go off their meds, think the world is a better, more fun place to be in. It's just your illness." The nurse nodded, "I'm sure you are great at your job when you're on your meds, and I don't think you'll have to leave it." She assured her as AJ just shrugged.

"I don't know." AJ sighed and shrugged, picking up a stick and shifting it onto the house she had made.

"Think positive thoughts." The nurse smiled and squeezed her shoulder, "Your last therapy session is in an hour. Maybe we should get some paint on that house." She nodded as AJ smiled.

* * *

"Alright, this is the first and last time we go over a run through of what we know." Punk said, standing in front of the officers in the station, "Three killings. All female in their twenties. All pregnant. All with the exact same stab wounds." Punk said, noticing a rookie talking over him, "Hey, motherfucker, you got something to say?" Punk looked over at the rookie as Seth whistled, "Huh?" Punk tested.

"No." The rookie shook his head.

"Good, I'm glad." Punk said, "Back to it. All the bodies were dumped in open spaces begging to be found. Body number two and three were presumed killed at the same time, only body number three was dumped the next day. For what reason, I don't know yet." Punk said, standing in front of the main board in the station as he wrote things up, "If they were killed at the same time then maybe we're considering two killers here. It's a possibility." Punk said, "The tyre marks that lead to the third body relate to a bigger car or a pick-up truck, that's important." He told them, "And what's also important is it seems the girls are being taken away somewhere to be killed, and then dumped afterwards, so we're looking for a place too, it could be somewhere as simple as a house, or it could be a cottage in the woods, we don't know. This is how fucking little evidence we have on this." He threw the folder down as they all looked at him.

"So we're looking at there being two killers, a pick-up truck or large car involved, and a place where they kill their victims." Seth added.

"We've had nothing for a few days now." One of the officers said, "There's other crime going on out there that we can't just ignore." He said as Punk turned to him.

"You got a girlfriend? Or a sister?" Punk asked him as the man nodded, "How would you like it if she was pregnant and someone stabbed her three times and then dumped her somewhere?" Punk said as the officer looked across at him, "Well that's how those girl's families are feeling. And we find whoever is behind it. This case isn't closing without me looking in those scum bags eyes." Punk made himself clear, "Alright, get to work." He nodded to them, throwing the board pen down as Seth and Dean walked over to him.

"You certainly don't take it easy on them." Dean chuckled, "Probably talking about you behind your back." He looked around at the station splitting up.

"Oh, let them talk I couldn't care less. They're here to work." Punk said. He was a different type of commissioner than Walter. Walter, since he was older, had a lighter commissioners job where his job really only was to make sure everything was running smoothly, as well as appearing at out of town board meetings, but Punk was still playing his role of sergeant, as well as commissioner, and if people didn't like the way he worked, he really didn't care.

"We've really not picked up on anything in a few days, though." Seth nodded, "I mean, it's like things have just gone silent."

"That doesn't mean we just forget about the case." He said, "We still look at all possibilities, in every crack we can get in, that's where the answers are found." He said.

"Is AJ coming back to work any time soon?" Dean asked.

"No, she's home tonight and she's taking some time off. She's not getting involved with this case."

"She's never left a case unsolved before." Seth said.

"Yeah, well she's in a psych unit in hospital right now. I think she's better leaving it, don't you think?" Punk turned to him as Seth looked at Punk.

"Are you alright, man?" Seth asked wearily, "You still not sleeping?" He wondered as Dean looked at Punk.

"Ever since I found out Ape is pregnant I keep having nightmares about her… and this fucking case." Punk said, "I just want to find whoever the killer or killers are." Punk said, "Before _I_ go out of my mind." He said as Dean and Seth watched him walk off back to his office.

"Where is Punk?" Rocky ran up to Dean and Seth out of breath a little as they turned to him.

"He went to his office. Why?" Dean said.

"Witness." Rocky smiled with triumph, "Older women said she saw the first girl get taken. She's seventy and she was scared to come forward." He said, "He's in his office?" Rocky asked as Dean and Seth nodded, watching Rocky run off down the station to go tell Punk the promising news.

* * *

"You know, my legs work fine." AJ smiled up at Punk who was trying to guide her into the apartment, even though she was fully balanced on her feet.

"Right, sorry." Punk shook his head.

"Don't be." AJ smiled to him. She couldn't describe how good it felt to be back home in her apartment, in her own home comfort.

"Mommy I made up the couch for you, here look." Nova presented the couch to AJ who walked round and saw the cushions and the blanket waiting.

"Oh, you're such a precious girl." AJ smiled, crouching down in front of Nova who smiled, "Are you gonna take care of me whilst I'm off work?" She asked her.

"Yeah." Nova nodded as Punk smiled watching whilst putting AJ's bag over on the kitchen table, "I wanna make you soup like you do for me but I don't know how to." She shrugged sadly, "But I can bring you glasses of water." She nodded as AJ smiled.

"That's all I need." AJ smiled, kissing her forehead, "Go get your pyjamas on and we can watch a movie." She said as Nova smiled, running off to her bedroom. AJ knew that her home rehab had to consist of spending lots of time with her gorgeous daughter, having a routine, having plenty of rest and sleep, staying on her medication and getting back into the sway of things.

"You hungry?" Punk asked her as AJ looked across at him. He looked completely exhausted. His eyes were hanging out of his head.

"Philip Jack Brooks, have you been sleeping?" She looked across at him.

"Yeah." Punk nodded defensively as AJ folded her arms, "A little." He corrected himself, "It's just been busy that's all." He said as AJ walked over to him. She was dressed in sweats and a baggy t-shirt from leaving the hospital, wanting to be as comfy as possible.

"You have to take care of yourself too, you know." AJ nodded to him, cupping his cheek softly, "What's going on with the case?"

"Well I spent a total of five hours in an interview room with a seventy-year-old woman who saw the first victim get taken into a pick-up truck, but she said the victim went willingly, and it was a woman driver." Punk said, "You were right. How'd you know it was a woman?" He asked as AJ's brain began to do overtime.

"I uh… I had a feeling." AJ nodded, "That was it, you spent five hours with her and that's all you got?" AJ asked.

"The woman was scared. I spent four of those five hours convincing her we wouldn't arrest her for coming forward late with evidence." Punk shook his head, "She then gave me a hug and I drove her home. Helped her in with her groceries." Punk said as AJ smiled.

"You're too kind." AJ smiled, flicking his chin softly, "So that's good, right? Pick-up truck is a definite yes, and it's a woman."

"But the victim went willingly." Punk said, "And this is coming from a seventy-year-old." Punk shook his head.

"Hey, she might be old but she's not gonna waste our time. If she said that's what she saw, then you gotta take that evidence and roll with it." AJ nodded. She already was itching to get back. Once hearing that piece of news, about a new shed of light on the case, she wanted to get straight back into it, but she knew it wasn't good for her.

"Something still isn't clicking for me." Punk shook his head, "Why would the victim get in willingly? Is that how all of the victims got into the truck?" Punk asked, "It's not joining up my dots." He shook his head with frustration.

"I'm sure you will… figure it out." AJ nodded with confidence as Punk looked down at her. He knew this was killing her to stand aside, but he was also very proud of her for her knowing what was best for her at this moment.

"I know you're desperate to be a part of this." Punk nodded, running his fingers through her hair as she smiled.

"I know what's good for me." AJ said, "And that is getting myself back on my feet, spending time with Nova and keeping baby safe and healthy." AJ nodded as Punk smiled. It was great to see her thinking positive.

"Ok!" Nova exclaimed as she ran out of her bedroom where Ace chased after her, "I'm ready to watch a movie." She ran and jumped on the couch with the dog as AJ and Punk smiled to her.

"Are you gonna watch a movie with us?" AJ turned to Punk with a hopeful smile as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, I'll set one up." Punk nodded, kissing AJ on the lips softly.

"Yuck." Nova complained as she turned away from them and sunk down on the couch, "Don't look, Ace." Nova placed her hands gently over the large dog's eyes as AJ and Punk chuckled to themselves after breaking apart. AJ was glad to be home with her family.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	37. Stressed

**Stressed**

* * *

The next day Punk and AJ decided they were going to tell Nova about the baby. They didn't know how she would react to it. For five years she'd been used to it just being her, but she'd also been used to it being just her and her mother, and she adapted to Punk pretty well, there were a few challenged along the way of course.

Punk had come home early from work, not being able to stand the dead ends they kept coming up against with the case. It was like things had just finished. No more bodies and no more evidence. All they had was a little old woman who claimed to have saw the first victim willingly get into a pick-up truck with a female driver. That wasn't much to go on. There were lots of female drivers around.

AJ was so glad to be home in her own bed again. The psych unit, of course, wasn't a fun place to be and she knew she would get better quicker in her own home comforts. She was serious about getting back to good health. She was putting her health before everything. Even her job.

"Baby, are you finished your homework?" AJ asked from the couch whilst Nova sat at the kitchen table, closing over her books and putting her pencils back in her pencil case.

"Yeah, I'm finished." Nova nodded, tidying everything away very neatly as Punk watched her with a smile. This was either going to go wonderful, or terribly wrong.

"Ok, quickly then." Punk said, "We have something to tell you." He said as Nova rushed over to them, standing in front of them with her hands clasped behind her back nervously.

"What is it?" Nova grinned. She immediately thought it was a surprise for her. Maybe a present of some sort.

"Well you know how mommy and daddy love each other so much that we decided to have you five years ago." AJ said as Nova nodded, "And you were a little baby in my tummy?" She asked as Nova nodded, "Well, we're having another baby. He or she is in my tummy right now." AJ smiled as Nova's smile faded and she looked at them both as if they were sixteen.

"Why?" Nova questioned, "You don't need another baby, I'm here." Nova told them.

"We can have more than one." Punk smiled, "You're gonna be a big sister. That's really cool." Punk nodded.

"No, thank you." Nova walked away from them over to the other couch where she sat up with Ace, refusing to look at her parents.

"Nova." AJ hummed, "C'mon, baby. This is a nice thing. You'll have a little brother or sister."

"I don't want a brother or sister, mommy." Nova said, "Why can't you just send it back? I thought I was the baby." She shook her head, lying down against Ace sadly, "Me and Ace will leave." She threatened as AJ and Punk tried their hardest to take her seriously and not laugh.

"You'll always be our first baby." Punk nodded, "You get to be the older one. That's a good thing." He said as Nova looked over at him lying down on Ace's thigh.

"Who gave you the baby?" Nova turned to her mother angrily, sitting up with teary eyes, "Because they should take it back." She said.

"No, we can't take it back." AJ said, "It's in my tummy now and it's gonna grow and I'm gonna have a big belly." She said, "And then the baby will be here." She smiled, "Don't look so sad, sweetheart. You're gonna love being a big sister. I know it." She said as Nova got up and wandered back over to them.

"Is it really in your tummy?" Nova asked, sitting up between them and looking at AJ's tummy closely.

"Yeah it is. And it'll start kicking soon and you'll be able to feel it." AJ said as Nova looked at AJ's tummy and then down to hers.

"When will there be a baby in my tummy?" She wondered as AJ laughed out loud and Punk almost fell off the chair.

"Uh… never." Punk shook his head, "You know, just…. You don't have to have a baby." Punk nodded to her as Nova looked up at him.

"When someone loves you so so much." AJ said, "And you're much… much older." AJ nodded.

"Much older." Punk emphasised, "Like thirty years older." Punk nodded, "Maybe even forty." He shrugged as AJ rolled her eyes.

"That's a long time." Nova nodded, rather happy that she wasn't having any babies any time soon.

"For the time being, you can help me with your brother or sister." AJ smiled, "And help me and daddy take care of him or her."

"Can I have a sister please?" Nova asked, jumping down from the couch and standing in front of them again.

"We don't really decide what it is, baby." Punk said.

"Well I really hope it's a sister." Nova nodded, "And I should name her."

"Well we're not making any promises any time soon." Punk said, "So are you excited?" Punk asked her.

"Maybe a little." Nova admitted, "Will I still get presents at Christmas from Santa?" She wondered.

"Of course, you will." AJ laughed, "Why would he miss you out?"

"Maybe because there will be two of us now and he'll only have enough toys for one of us." Nova sighed dramatically.

"No, that's not how it works." AJ said, "He'll have plenty for the both of you I'm sure." AJ smiled.

"So is it in your tummy right now?" Nova questioned with fascination as she wandered over to AJ, poking her stomach lightly as Punk chuckled, "Hello baby!" Nova yelled at AJ's tummy.

"Ok, don't deafen it." Punk laughed.

"It might not hear me." Nova told him.

"It's still really small, but it'll grow." AJ nodded.

"And you'll get fat." Nova giggled.

"Yeah, that's the way it goes." AJ said as Punk smiled to her, watching as Nova continued to ask AJ questions like 'is it really in your tummy right now?' and 'how long will it take to come out?' which made him smile. He knew she would come around to it, and the best part was noticing how happy AJ looked. It had been a tough few weeks for sure, but it was so good to see her feeling fresh and healthy again, and happy.

* * *

"I still don't think she believes it's literally in my stomach." AJ laughed later that night in bed with Punk, curled into him whilst his arm was around her holding her close.

"I know, she's definitely on to us." Punk chuckled to himself, "She'll be bummed out if it's a boy." He said.

"Oh, she'll come around. She just needs to get used to it." AJ nodded, looking up at him as he seemed caught in a trance, "Hey. You ok?" She asked him as he snapped out of it and turned down to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Punk nodded, "I just… I feel like this case is gonna go cold. I can feel it." Punk nodded, "How do you even live with that? Not solving three murders." He shook his head.

"Phil, you're working with very little to none evidence. So far you know it's a woman. And even at that, you don't know for sure. You're doing your best and that's all anyone can ask for." She nodded, "If it… if it goes to a cold case then that's just something you gotta accept." She said as he looked down at her. It wasn't in her nature to say something like that. She never gave up on any case, no matter how little evidence she had, "I think we have to… stop being so driven to solve everything. Sometimes we're gonna just have to accept we can't. There's other crime going on that needs attention." She said.

"That's not like you to say that." Punk said.

"Yeah, well when I was in the hospital I considered leaving my job, which isn't like me either so." She shrugged.

"Wait, what?" Punk shook his head, "You would never leave." He said.

"I've thought about it." AJ nodded, "It makes me unwell. Really unwell. It becomes too personal for me and I get caught up." She said, "It was ok before when we had no family, and we were just friends, and I didn't have anyone to look after." She said.

"April, the job isn't what makes you unwell, it's the whole part where you don't take your meds." He said.

"I know but… it's not much help either. I get too attached and obsessed. You know I do." She said, "I've not made any decisions yet, I mean… I'm probably just thinking out loud here, but… I have been thinking about it." She nodded, wanting him to know. In her mind, she knew she'd never leave, but she wanted him to know that she was aware of how hard her job was when it came to her health.

"I support you in all your decisions, you know that. But… you are amazing at your job, April. You always have been." Punk said, "Don't let this blip get you down." He said, "You can do anything you want to do."

"I know." AJ smiled up at him, "I really don't like how stressed you're getting about this case either. I don't want you to end up in hospital." She admitted with a small smile.

"It's stressful. I agree with you." Punk nodded, "There's just nothing to go on. And I refuse to just close the case because we've not got much evidence. Three girls died. Innocent girls who were on their way home from work." He said, "That can't just be forgotten about." He shook his head.

"I know." AJ nodded, "But you also can't make evidence appear in thin air." She said, looking up at him, "I don't like seeing you stressed." She sighed.

"I'm not stressed. I'm ok." Punk nodded with a sigh as AJ frowned.

"Are you sure?" She asked him sensually, rolling on top of him, straddling his hips as she lifted off her t-shirt which she was completely naked under, "I can ease your stress a little." She smiled as he smirked, pulling her down as he pressed his lips against hers roughly, her breasts pressing down against his chest whilst she grinded her hips against his mid centre, enjoying the passionate kiss that she needed just as much as he did.

"Fuck, get these off." Punk groaned, pulling her shorts and panties as AJ sat aside, shuffling them down and throwing them away, giggling as she suddenly felt him grab her by the hips, to her own surprise, placing her over his mouth facing out the way as she felt his tongue make way between her folds.

"Oh my God." AJ moaned blissfully, "Oh, fuck baby. That's it." She groaned, teasing her breasts whilst sitting on his face, "Fuck yes, make me wet." She gasped, moaning constantly as she looked down at his hard member through his boxers. She smirked to herself, bending over and shuffling his boxers down, "I was wondering why you faced me this way." She smirked as he chuckled, the vibrations hitting across her clit as she jerked slightly.

She began stroking him up and down with her hand before using her mouth on him. She had to pause a few times, resting her cheek on his thigh every time his tongue bumped up against her clit causing her to moan loudly.

AJ went back to using her mouth on him, staying in a 69 position when AJ began to feel her release coming. Every time Punk groaned with how deep she was taking him into her mouth, the vibrations sent AJ crazy until she finally came, stroking his length slowly in her hand whilst her legs shook around his head, feeling him lap at her juices as her whole body tingled.

"Fuck, I want you inside me." AJ moaned breathlessly as she shuffled down his body, turning around to face him, straddling his hips again where she took his length and guided it up inside her, moving her hips up and down on him immediately as she greedily took him all the way in. Everything felt so much better when she was pregnant, and a part of her just wanted to play with him all night.

"Fuck, baby." Punk moaned, thrusting up into her whenever she moved her hips down, setting a steady, fast rhythm as she leaned down and pressed her lips against his messily and breathlessly, "Fuck you're so tight, baby." Punk moaned as AJ leaned her head against his shoulder, whispering Spanish words to herself as Punk began to thrust up into her harder.

"Oh my God, baby." AJ moaned as her eyes widened, feeling him hit her g-spot over and over again, "I'm gonna cum… I'm gonna cum." She cried out at the feeling, puling herself back up as he thrust up into her hard and fast, "Right there. Don't stop." She whispered in a beg, moaning loudly as she came, some of her juices squirting out a little onto his lower stomach as he smiled, "Oh my God." AJ gasped for air.

"You know I love it when you do that." Punk said, pulling her back down by the back of the neck to kiss her passionately whilst slowly moving in and out of her.

He then sat up with her, placing her down on her back whilst hovering over her where her head was at the end of the bed, watching as she smirked, her hand tangled between them as she rubbed her clit whilst he moved in and out of her slowly, keeping his eyes on hers.

"Make me do it again." AJ moaned as he smirked, pressing his lips against hers roughly as he began thrusting into her harder and faster, easing the stress that either of them had, clearly.

* * *

Later that night, AJ and Punk had passed out from exhaustion. AJ lay naked curled into him, her leg draped over his whilst he lay on his back snoring. He woke up however when he began to hear light mumbles from AJ, feeling her body twitch and move against his.

He looked down and saw she was clearly having a bad dream, so attempted to soothe her by stroking her cheek, but she only got worse until her own fears woke her up shaking in his arms.

"Hey, you're ok." Punk whispered softly as AJ looked around the room and then up at him, "It's ok, you were just dreaming." He nodded to her.

"There was a pick-up truck." AJ nodded, sitting up holding the sheets to her chest, "I saw it somewhere. I've saw it somewhere." She shook her head as Punk pulled her back down into him.

"You were just dreaming." He said softly and tiredly as AJ calmed down, settling back into his arms, "Close your eyes back over." He whispered softly as AJ sighed, closing her eyes back over as they fell asleep again.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	38. Change Is Scary

**Change Is Scary**

* * *

 _Three months later…_

"Yeah, he's pretty much guilty as sin." AJ said, walking back from the interview room where she found Punk outside his office with Rocky, "How many armed robberies have we actually had this year? I've lost count." She shook her head, passing the folder to Punk who looked through it.

"Yeah, well that guy made it pretty obvious." Rocky said.

"When I got up to leave he asked to feel my belly." AJ rolled her eyes as Punk turned to her, "I didn't let him obviously." She shook her head.

"Dick." Punk muttered under his breath, "Ok, put it through." Punk nodded to AJ, passing back the folder to her, "Rocky got a lead on that attack that happened last weekend." He said, "We're gonna go check it out, you wanna come?" He asked her as she thought about it, placing her hand on her five-month bump.

"Can we grab some lunch on the way back?" She asked them as Rocky chuckled.

"Yeah, my treat." Rocky nodded to her.

"Let me get my things then." AJ smiled, walking back to her office to get her gun and her phone.

She was taking it easy back at the station. After spending a month off at home trying to get her health back in order, she returned back to work and focused on more of the lighter cases, not just because of her health, but because of her pregnancy too. She was starting to find a balance, and didn't feel a massive urge to solve everything that got put in front of her. She knew that's what caused her to relapse so badly. She was taking her time and taking care of herself, and the baby.

"Remind me of this case again." AJ said, meeting back up with Punk and Rocky as they headed out of the station.

"Two drunk guys got into a fight." Punk said, "Got out of hand, one ended up with a broken arm and a broken leg and we know there was a knife involved." He said as AJ nodded.

"And what's the lead?" AJ asked.

"We got an address." Rocky said, "One of them was spotted coming home from work so we followed him and found the address. Could be a runner so…" He looked down at AJ's bump and then to Punk, "You're on catching duty for this one." Rocky nodded to Punk.

"Why not you?" Punk looked at Rocky.

"You're faster." Rocky shrugged as Punk just shook his head, the three of them leaving the station and getting into the car.

* * *

"Ok, head back." Punk said as he knelt down by the bath which Nova was in, pouring a jug of water over her hair to rinse out the shampoo. Sometimes it still felt surreal to him that he was home with his family again. A part of him was always going to be scarred from missing those four essential years of his daughter's life, and his girlfriend's too, but he counted himself lucky every day to be home with his daughter and his pregnant girlfriend. His family.

"Daddy, why do I have to wash my hair all the time?" Nova huffed as Punk smiled.

"Because you gotta be clean, don't you?" Punk said, "Or else you'll stink and no one will come near you." He said.

"My friends would." Nova said with certainty, "What happened to your arm, daddy?" Nova noticed her father's arm had a bandage on it, "Did a bad guy hurt you?" She asked angrily. She knew that's what her parents done for a living. Stopped the bad guys.

"Yeah, I was chasing him down the street and I got hurt." Punk nodded, not going into too much detail, "But we got him." He smiled as Nova clapped happily.

"Well done." Nova approved, "Did mommy help you?" She wondered.

"No, she stayed in the car, but I had her in my ear the entire time." Punk said.

"How?" Nova shook her head.

"Well she spoke through a mic and I had an ear piece in. She was telling me where to go." Punk said.

"Woah, how did she know?" Nova asked with fascination.

"Because she's a smart mommy." Punk nodded.

"She is." Nova agreed, "How long until the baby gets here?" She asked him whilst Punk soaked the conditioner through her dark hair.

"You've still got a little while to wait, kid." Punk said, "A few months." He nodded.

"I really, really want a sister. Not a brother. Can't you talk to someone so they can make it a sister?" She asked him as he laughed.

"It doesn't really work like that. You just sort of… take what you get." Punk said.

"Do you want it to be a sister?" Nova asked him curiously.

"I don't mind, really." Punk said, "I guess it'd be nice to have a boy-"

"No." Nova shook her head, "Boys are yucky." She said as Punk smiled.

"That's my girl." Punk nodded, "I want that to be your motto for the rest of your life." He said, beginning to rinse out Nova's hair again as she smiled.

"Hey, you two. You've been in here for ages." AJ stuck her head into the bathroom as Nova smiled up at her.

"Mommy, daddy was telling me you helped him get the bad guy today." Nova said, "He got him down! Boom boom!" She exclaimed whilst pretending to punch the water as Punk and AJ laughed.

"Yeah, but he got hurt in the process. Silly daddy." AJ smiled, ruffling Punk's slicked hair with her hand that was already coming out of its slicked ways.

"I'll be ok." Punk smiled, "I have two of my favourite girls to look after me." He said as AJ smiled.

"Three if you count my sister." Nova pointed to AJ's stomach.

"Hey, baby you don't know that yet." AJ said, "Don't get your hopes up." She said as Nova sighed, "Finish up in here, it's getting late." She said, leaving the bathroom. She knew sometimes Punk got carried away when bathing Nova or putting her to bed. It was things he had missed out on for four years, and she knew a part of him was always scarred from that, but things were good, and they were headed into the right direction for sure.

* * *

"Can you even remember what it was like just the two of us?" AJ asked later that night, laying on the sofa with Punk as they watched some late-night talk show. Nova was long gone to bed, and Ace lay over on the opposite couch sleeping.

"No, I really can't." Punk said.

"And soon there will be four of us." She shook her head, "It's crazy." She said as he nodded, "How is your arm?" She asked, sitting up and looking at his bandaged arm. He'd got into a little bit of a fight with their wanted man earlier when they went to make an arrest and look around, but he came out on top of course.

"It'll heal." Punk nodded, not wanting a fuss made out of it, "I'm just glad we got the guy." He said as AJ nodded.

"We're gonna have a lot of interviewing to do tomorrow." AJ sighed tiredly as Punk nodded, "Baby is making me really tired this time round." She admitted truthfully.

"Hey, you can take your time off. You don't have to work until you pop." He reminded her.

"I know, but it keeps me on a schedule, and you know I've been cutting back on my workload and… accepting help from others, as hard as it is for me." She said as he smiled.

"You have been doing good." Punk smiled, "And I don't want that to sound like I'm praising you like you're a kid or anything but… well, you know you were in a bad place better than anyone, and you've really turned it around now." He nodded as she smiled.

"I guess I just realised that I can't help everybody, you know." AJ said, "But I can do my best."

"That's all you can do." Punk nodded, "You know, I still think about those three girls." He admitted whilst she lay into him, his arm around her, playing with a strand of her hair whilst she rested her cheek on his chest.

"I know you do." AJ sighed, "Look, just because I'm cutting back on my work, doesn't mean I enjoy letting a case slip through my fingers. But… we had nothing to go on with that. It was just a bunch of dead ends. Either someone out there got what they wanted, or it was just some twisted psychopath killing pregnant women for fun." AJ said, "But we can't waste our entire time on one case when there is other stuff going on." She said.

"I know." Punk nodded, "Did I mention I was out of town this weekend at a board meeting?" He said as she looked up at him sadly, "Hey, don't look at me like that. It's just two nights. The last one I had was two months ago." He said as AJ nodded. She knew that his meetings that were out of town weren't frequent, in fact, he'd had the job for over five months and only had two meetings so far.

"I'll miss you." She sighed, "Baby will miss you." She placed her hand on her bump as Punk placed his hand over hers.

"I'll miss the baby." Punk smiled as AJ suddenly jumped, "What?" Punk shook his head.

"Did you feel that? It kicked." AJ smiled, taking his hand and placing it where the baby was kicking, "Do you feel it?" She smiled as Punk nodded.

"Woah, it's having a party in there." Punk smiled as he felt the baby kick. After getting by the shock and surprise, they were both very excited about the baby, and happy to be adding another member to their family. It was bringing AJ joy, whereas when she was pregnant with Nova, she still felt very young and clueless, and was constantly worried about work.

"Oh, man." AJ smiled at the feeling, "This is going to be a crazy apartment when this baby comes." She smiled to herself, curling back down against Punk as he nodded.

"Crazy apartment, huh?" Punk said as AJ looked up at him.

"You still wanna buy a house?" AJ asked him, sitting up.

"I think it would be more ideal now we're gonna have two kids. I mean, do you really wanna haul a stroller up all those stairs as well as having Nova by your side?" He said.

"Garry will help me like he did with Nova, if you're not there." AJ shrugged, "I just… I don't think we need to move. Our apartment is fine. We have the room."

"It's a nice apartment, I know. I love it. But… don't you want to have your own house?" He asked her.

"No, I like it here." AJ shrugged, "Why-Why do we need a house? What does a house do that our apartment can't?" She asked him.

"We'll have our own garden. Get a swing for Nova so she can go out and play on it." Punk said, "Just having a better home for our family, April. That's what it is."

"I just think it's wasting money." AJ shrugged, "We have nice things here." She nodded.

"So you don't want to get a house, you don't want to get married, it's a surprise you're ok with the fact we have kids." He shook his head as she glared at him.

"You don't want to get married either. You told me that." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"I don't." Punk said, "But that isn't the point-"

"Well then don't throw that in my face like I won't marry you." AJ said, "We're fine with how we are, why would you wanna change anything?" She asked him.

"Change is good sometimes, April." Punk nodded.

"Change can be scary." AJ said, "A house will be more expensive."

"Yeah, and I'd say we're doing ok for money right now, don't you think?" He said.

"That isn't the point." AJ said.

"You just said it would be more expensive." Punk shook his head.

"I just don't want a house, ok?" AJ snapped, "Am I not allowed to not want to move or get married?" She said as he looked across at her.

"Whatever." He just shook his head, too tired to argue with her.

"I don't want to fight about it. It's stupid." AJ shook her head, "I just… I think we're fine here. Why change it?"

"It's a house, April. We're not moving country." He said, "I thought it'd be something you'd want. Something you'd want for the kids. You want their childhood to be running up and down apartment stairs?" He asked her.

"There's the park across the road." AJ shrugged, "Nova doesn't even bother. She likes this place."

"You're right, we shouldn't argue about it." Punk put his hand up, "But I think it'd be a good idea." He shrugged.

"Why did you bring up marriage?" She asked him as he turned to her.

"Well you don't want that either, do you?" He asked her as she looked in his eyes. Of course she wanted it, but she was scared of it more, but she refused to tell him that.

"No." AJ said, "I don't think it's something we need." She said, "We're fine where we are, literally in the apartment and with our relationship." She said.

"Ok then." Punk shrugged, turning back to the TV as she sighed.

"Phil." She moaned a little, taking hold of his hand as he gently took it away and stood up, "Phil, please don't fight with me." She said, "Do _you_ want to get married?" She asked him.

"No, I don't. But I want a house for our kids, April." Punk said.

"What does it matter where we live?" AJ shook her head, "This is our home. To me, this will always be our home." She shook her head.

"Ok." Punk shrugged, "I'm going to bed." He told her, handing her the TV remote.

"Phil." AJ sighed, watching as he walked off into the bedroom and shut the door behind him.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	39. Talk It Out

**Talk It Out**

* * *

"Phil, we're not going to bed until we talk about this." AJ said as she walked into their bedroom literally minutes after Punk had gone in, "I really don't want to fight with you, baby. Please, let's talk about it." She nodded, climbing onto the bed where he sat up. Her doctor had been telling her as of late to really talk about things, and not leave fights. It was healthy to fight, they knew that, sometimes they just happened. Not often but every now and then they'd have disagreements, and she really wanted them to air them.

"There's nothing to talk about." Punk shook his head.

"No, there is." AJ said, "You know why I don't want to get married, right?" She asked him.

"You're scared." Punk nodded.

"It's not just that." AJ shook her head, "You were gone for four years, and… I was lost. Completely lost." She said, "I'm terrified of putting everything into… building a home with you… in case it all falls apart." She shook her head as he looked at her, "If I lose you again-"

"Just, stop." Punk shook his head and sighed, "You don't have to be so… so terrified of committing to something, whether it's a home or a… marriage." Punk said, "I want our kids to have a home. Not a piece of landing with some rooms." Punk shook his head, "And maybe… maybe I do wanna get married." He said as she looked at him sadly, "But it kills me to know you don't want to."

"It's not that I don't want to." AJ said, "I'm just scared of having this dream life with you and our children and then… I lose you. That's what always happens. People in my life are always lost but somehow… you came back and I can't stand the thought of losing you again." She shook her head, "I'm not wanting the sympathy vote here, and I'm not trying to be selfish either." She said, "I do feel stupid for being scared of something that's so normal. Something most people are excited to do. But I have lost so much in my life. I am so scared that I'll lose you too. I thought I had." She admitted truthfully.

She was a very private person and kept her feelings about things locked away. Punk knew she was scared of marriage and a home, and essentially moving forward with their relationship. The only reason she was so ok with having their children, was because they came unexpectedly. If she sat down and thought about having kids before actually having them, he knew she'd probably talk herself out of it because of her own fears. He knew that was just who she was.

"Listen to me." Punk said softly, "You can't be afraid to live your life because of what has happened in the past." He said, "I'm here right now. We're here. We have a daughter and we have another baby coming. I'm not going anywhere, April. You're not going to lose me." He promised.

"You don't know that." She shook her head, "I never thought I'd lose you before and then… I lost you." She said as Punk nodded. He wasn't the only one to be scarred from his four-year absence. AJ was too, she was the one that thought he was dead and had to raise their baby on her own.

"Look, I know you have your fears and your doubts. We've never really had ideal, married parents to look up to, that's clear as hell." He said as she smiled and nodded, "But we're doing this our way, and we're still learning." He said as she nodded.

"I know… I know a lot of women are desperate to get married and have their own house and play mom." AJ said, "And this isn't anything against you. I'm just… I'm scared." She said simply.

"That's ok." Punk smiled to her, "I kinda figured but… I wanted you to chase after me." He said honestly as she raised her eyebrows, "I can't beg you all the time to tell me what's wrong or what you're thinking. You need to come to me and tell me." He said as she nodded.

"I know." AJ said, "I'm not saying never." She said honestly, "I hate feeling like such a nag all the time… like I complain… I don't think I tell you enough how lucky I feel to have you. Seeing you walk around that corner after four years… I do genuinely think I had a heart attack." She said as he smiled, "You don't mean the world to me… you are my world, you and Nova and our baby." She nodded.

"April, you're not a nag." Punk rolled his eyes, "I just… find it hard to read you sometimes." He said honestly, "I love you for you. I fell in love with you because you loved yourself first, all those years ago." He said, "I fell in love with a smart, powerful, sexy woman." He said as she smiled to herself and laughed, "And you're still all of that." He nodded, "We've been through so much. You spent four years thinking I was dead. It doesn't get any harder than that." He said, "So I think it's normal that you're hesitant towards anything that could potentially end up being ruined." He said.

"I just need to… stop overthinking things." AJ said truthfully, "Because I would love to walk down the aisle to you one day, and I'd love to have our own house… with a garden and swing set." She added with a smile as he nodded.

"Of course." Punk smiled.

"But I need a little bit of time." She said as he nodded, "I have to find a way to… get over my fears somehow." She nodded, "I thought you didn't want to marry me anyway." She admitted whilst looking down at the ground.

"Of course I do." Punk said, "I was just saying that because you were saying it. I bought a ring a year into our relationship." He scoffed as she smiled, "I'm not looking to rush into anything anytime soon anyway." He told her, "I just want you to be happy. I want our kids to be happy."

"I am happy, Phil." AJ nodded, "For the first time since I relapsed. I'm really happy. I've actually found a balance at work. I'm going to my doctor's appointments. I'm taking my meds. I'm excited about the baby." She said as he smiled, "You are making me happy. No one could give me all of this and make me as happy as you do." She told him truthfully, "Can I tell you something that's a little embarrassing?" She asked him.

"Go on." Punk smiled excitedly as she sat against the headboard beside him, sliding down a little.

"When I was with Jacob and you were single." AJ said, "And I always used to tease you about getting a girlfriend." She said as he nodded.

"Yeah, I remember." Punk smiled.

"I was… so jealous of whoever that was gonna be." She admitted, "I used to keep myself awake at night thinking about going to work one day and you being married with kids. And I was so jealous. So jealous of this imaginary woman." She laughed to herself, "Because I knew she'd be treated like a queen." She said, "I knew how good you were. How sweet and kind. And I just dreaded the day that you found the perfect person." She smiled to herself, looking up at him as he smiled.

"Well I found her." Punk whispered as he looked into her eyes, "Are you still jealous?" He teased as she laughed lightly.

"No. Because it turns out she's a complete psychopath who is obsessed with her job and pushes everyone she loves away, or loses them." AJ shrugged as Punk's smile faded.

"You can't belittle yourself like that all the time." Punk said, "So what you're a little bit crazy? I love it. So what you love your job? Most people hate their jobs and don't want to get up in the morning to go to them. And yes, you've lost people you love, but you still have me, and we have our own little family." He said as she smiled to herself.

"You really love that I'm crazy?" AJ grinned up at him.

"I don't like the distress it causes you, and obviously I don't mean literally when it makes you unwell." He said, "But I love you. All of you. Bipolar disorder included. It's not been easy for us. Far from it. But we're getting there." He nodded, "And you don't have to be afraid of anything."

"I'm so lucky to have you." She whispered to herself as he smiled, "No, really." She looked up at him, "I-I almost got married to Jacob. And maybe that makes me look like a hypocrite but… I was able to go through with marrying him because it didn't mean anything." She said, "Not like what you mean to me." She shook her head.

"Imagine you did marry him." Punk said as she shook her head.

"He didn't even know me." AJ said truthfully, "Not really. That's how I knew I had to leave him. I realised you knew me more than my husband to be did." She said, "That night I tried to kiss you opened my eyes to everything. It was the first time for so long that I had wanted to kiss someone. First time I had butterflies." She said as he smiled.

"I thought you were manic that night, I'm not gonna lie." Punk said as she chuckled, "But yeah, it's safe to say you were in my sights for a while, and not just as a friend." He said, "I knew you deserved better than Jacob." He said.

"I convinced myself I didn't." AJ shrugged, "He was sweet to me in the beginning and then we just became objects in each other's lives." She said, "He couldn't even get me off. Just cared about himself." She said as he raised his eyebrows, "We just liked the idea of having each other around. He liked the idea of having someone to come home to, and I liked the idea of just… feeling like someone cared about me." AJ said as Punk smiled, placing his hand on her thigh. He knew it always took a lot for her to speak out. It wasn't like they never spoke or anything, but deep conversations always took a while to occur for them.

"I used to sleep with random girls to avoid getting attached to anything." Punk said, "So… I know how you feel when you say you're scared to commit to something fully, and put everything into it." He nodded, "Remember the morning after we first slept together?" He asked her.

"I tried to push you away." AJ nodded, looking up at him.

"I was scared too." Punk nodded, wanting her to know she wasn't alone. She wasn't the only person to be scared of something, "I slept with random girls because I didn't want to be alone, but I didn't want company either." He shrugged.

"When did you start to like me? Not just as a friend?" AJ wondered curiously.

"I always thought you were beautiful. From the minute you became my rookie." Punk said as she smiled, "I never imagined us together but I also couldn't imagine you as… like a little sister." He said, "I guess we just became best friends because we were so alike, and the idea of being together never really crossed my mind until you started dating Jacob." He nodded, "I remember when you introduced us. I-I hated the guy." He said as AJ laughed a little, "I didn't even know him and I hated him. But it wasn't like a… oh, this guy is dating my sister type hate, it was… it was jealousy." Punk nodded, "Sometimes I would be at my desk and images of you and him would just pop into my head." He shook his head.

"I didn't know you felt that way." She smiled up at him.

"Well, I mean I ignored it pretty well. And I convinced myself it was just because I knew you deserved better." Punk said, "But I was jealous. For sure." He nodded as Punk smiled, resting her head against him.

"I'm glad we were friends first." AJ said, "You're always my best friend first. I think it's a great example for our kids. To not rush into a relationship with someone you've just met."

"No relationships for Nova." Punk said, "And if you're a girl in there…" He slid down the bed to come into contact with her stomach, "No relationships for you either." He said, kissing her stomach as AJ smiled, watching him sit back up.

"I'm sorry for being so difficult." She sighed, placing her hand on his arm.

"You're not difficult, baby." Punk shook his head, "I love you and nothing will ever change that." He promised, "And whatever the future holds for us, we'll take it one step at a time." He nodded as she smiled.

"I'd like that." AJ smiled, "I love you." She said, leaning up and kissing his cheek softly as he turned his head so she got his lips instead, kissing her softly as she kissed back, cupping his cheeks as they slid down the bed together and picked at each other's clothes. Sometimes actions spoke louder than words, but sometimes words were reassuring too.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! Lots of drama to come so I'm just prepping you with some fluff. Get ready and keep reviewing! Thanks for the support. I appreciate it.**


	40. Into The Night

**Into The Night**

* * *

 _3 months later…_

"Baby, can you help me with that bag?" AJ asked, getting out of the car and wandering around to the trunk where the groceries were. Since Punk was out of town, she needed a helping hand from Nova, especially when she was eight months pregnant now.

"Oh, this is heavy." Nova groaned a little.

"Ok, find a lighter one then." AJ nodded, "Here, this one with the bread should be light." She handed the bag to her.

"Yeah, that's better." Nova nodded.

"April!" Garry, the buildings janitor ran out of the apartment block. Punk always gave AJ a hard time for allowing Garry to flirt with her, and in this case, carrying the groceries up to their apartment, "Here, let me help you. Don't you be lifting anything." He insisted.

"You're too much, Garry." AJ smiled, "I can get the lighter ones." She nodded.

"No, just you go on ahead." Garry ordered as AJ smiled, walking on ahead to catch up with Nova who was carrying her own bag proudly, walking up the stairs as AJ followed slowly behind. The idea of having their own house was becoming more realistic every time she carried her pregnant self-up the stairs. Normally she had Punk to help her up but he'd been out of town for a few days, and was taking a late-night flight later on to come home. She'd really missed him. Nova had really missed him. It was the first time in his commissioner's role where he had been away for a few nights instead of just one.

AJ got to their apartment with Nova and opened up the door, walking on in and taking the bag from Nova.

"Thank you, sweetheart." AJ smiled as Garry followed up the stairs with the groceries, "Thanks, Garry. You didn't have to take all of them." She shook her head.

"Anything for you, Miss April." Garry nodded as AJ smiled, watching as he left the apartment and closed the door.

"Is that the man daddy doesn't like?" Nova asked her.

"Shh. He might still be out there." AJ warned her with a smile, "Daddy just doesn't like when people are too friendly too mommy." AJ assured her.

"But being friends is good." Nova said, sitting up on the kitchen chair, "Can I have my donut now?" She asked. She was bribed to the grocery store by AJ telling her she would buy her donuts when they got there.

"Ok." AJ nodded, searching through the bags and finding the box of donuts, "Here, you pick what one you want just now." She said, sitting down the box in front of her, "I'll unpack all of this." She sighed exhaustedly.

She'd only stopped working a few weeks ago. She'd worked longer through this pregnancy than her pregnancy with Nova. She did have a lighter schedule at work now, and even though she was still determined to get things done, she was trying to distance herself from getting obsessed with any cases. She knew her health was so important, especially when she was eight months pregnant.

"When is daddy home? I miss him." Nova sighed whilst eating her donut sadly.

"He's home late tonight, baby. You'll see him in the morning." AJ smiled. After her and Punk's talk about her feelings on marriage and buying a house, things seemed to be going much better. She felt like so much had been lifted from her shoulders, and even though he had a hunch about all the reasons she had for not wanting to get married or buy a house, it had really cleared the air and any tension they might have had about it. Right now, they were concentrated on welcoming baby number two into the world.

"Can I wait up so I can see him?" Nova asked her mother.

"It'll be way too late, baby." AJ shook her head, "You'll see him in the morning, it's not that long." She said, "I'll be in my bed too when he comes home."

"You and my baby sister." Nova grinned, reaching out and touching mother's stomach softly, giving it a gentle pat.

"What are you gonna do when it ends up being a boy?" AJ smiled down at her, "Huh?" She said. Her and Punk had tried to tell Nova not to get her hopes up about it being a girl, but she just kept telling everyone she was having a baby sister. There was no filter.

"I don't want a boy, mommy. You can't let it be a boy." Nova shook her head. She was still under the illusion that her parents chose the gender.

"Baby, it's not up to me." AJ laughed lightly, "You're gonna love the baby whether it's a boy or a girl." She said, "Right?"

"Right." Nova sighed, "What's all of this?" She asked, taking her mother's work on the table with her sticky fingers as she looked at all the boring paper work.

"Oh, nothing. Just some work." AJ shook her head, "I got this pie for dinner, what do you think?" AJ showed Nova whilst unpacking the groceries.

"Looks yummy." Nova nodded, finishing off her donut.

"I thought so too. The baby really loves pastry." AJ said. Her cravings had consisted of any sort of pastry cakes, pies, tarts and donuts, and she found a way to eat all of them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"My baby sister loves pies like me." Nova smiled as AJ just shook her head with a smile.

* * *

Later that night, AJ was fast asleep in bed along with Nova in her room next door. She had to admit, the only good thing about Punk being away for a few nights was being able to have the full bed to herself.

She was peacefully asleep on her back when she heard a loud bang, as if their front door had been banged open. She knew it couldn't have been Punk. If he ever came home late he was like a mouse, and made sure he didn't wake his family up.

She sat up as quickly as she could, grabbing her gun from her side drawer, still with tired eyes, not really knowing what was going on as she edged her way to the bedroom door, listening as the footsteps walked by her and Punk's bedroom, listening as Nova's room door was opened.

She immediately left her bedroom with her gun pointing ahead, her whole heart shattering as she suddenly heard Nova scream and cry.

"Nova!" AJ yelled desperately, dropping her gun carelessly and heading for her daughter's bedroom when a second person grabbed her from behind, feeling a wet cloth pressed against her mouth as she tried to fight, becoming drowsy with the chemicals on the cloth.

She began to fade out, watching as the figure left Nova's room and shut the door over, collapsing to the ground and passing out.

"Ok, out the back." The female voice who had smothered AJ from behind said, taking off her gloves and placing them in her pocket, looking across at the bearded, long-haired man who lifted up AJ, "Be careful with her!" The female snapped, "Be careful." She warned as the man walked out of the apartment with AJ, whilst the female followed, leaving Nova crying and screaming in her room whilst Ace lay tranquilized on the floor.

* * *

After an awful flight home, Punk had never been gladder to have his cab pull up outside the apartment. He couldn't wait to slip into bed with his girlfriend and have a decent sleep.

He paid the cab driver and headed into the building, walking up the stairs as he got to their apartment, pausing when he saw the door had been kicked open.

He let go of his bags immediately and rushed into the apartment, pausing when he heard Nova crying in her room whilst Ace lay on the floor not moving.

"Nova!" Punk yelled, bursting through the room door where she lay in her bed, "Nova." He repeated as he walked over to her bed and saw her crying, and then he saw her arm, which was very much broken, "Oh my God." Punk shook his head.

"Daddy." Nova cried in pain, so thankful to see her father whilst Punk lifted her up out of her bed.

"I'm here, baby. It's alright." He rubbed her back softly, "Who did this to you?" He asked her.

"A scary man." Nova cried into his neck as he walked out of her bedroom.

He didn't want to look into his bedroom, because he knew he would see either two things, his girlfriend hurt, or no one at all. But he had to look.

He burst into the room, looking at the empty bed and room, and noticing AJ's gun on the floor, "Ok, baby." Punk sighed, kissing Nova's cheek, "You're ok now." He said, his heart racing as he walked over to the couch and lay her down, "We're gonna go to the hospital and get your arm better, ok?" Punk said as she nodded, still crying and whimpering.

"I want mommy." Nova cried. He'd never saw her cry this hard before. Sure, he'd seen her having temper tantrums and cry when she couldn't have her way, but he'd never saw her cry in pain before, and he couldn't bare the sight of it.

Punk couldn't quite comprehend all that was happening. His eight-month pregnant girl was gone, and it didn't look like she'd gone willingly. She would never have left Nova unless she didn't have the choice.

"Baby, did you see your mom? Did you hear anything?" Punk had to ask whilst taking his phone out as Nova shook her head.

"No, just a scary man." Nova cried, "He had… He had lots of hair." She said, crying so much that she was beginning to gasp for air and choke.

"Ok." Punk nodded softly, "Ok, baby. Just lay there for me, ok? We'll go to the hospital in just a second, ok?" He said as she nodded. He was trying not to show her he was panicking, but boy was he panicking.

He then walked over to Ace, taking the dogs pulse, which was still there and noticing the syringe sticking out of his thigh. He shook his head and stood up, taking his phone out and calling every person he could to come out, ordering every uniformed officer to go out on a search for AJ. He'd never been this scared before.

* * *

"Where do you want her?" The hairy man asked whilst having carried AJ into a shack on a cut off in the road.

"The spare bedroom. It's all set up." The woman said, taking her coat off as the man nodded, walking off into the spare bedroom, "Strip her and put her in the gown." She ordered whilst grabbing a hair bobble and tying her hair back, walking by the empty nursery and into the bedroom she shared with her husband.

"Lewis! Wake up. It's time." The woman smiled, "My brother is just setting her up." She said as she watched her husband stir in bed, walking off out of the bedroom and into the spare room where AJ had been placed on the bed, still unconscious, "Thank you, Bray." The woman nodded to her brother, "You really have been of great service to me." She smiled, "But you can go back to the bar now and cover for me." She nodded.

"Anything for you, sister." Bray smiled, "Is it happening tonight?" He asked.

"Well that depends." She said, "I'll let her decide. She is giving me her baby after all." She smiled longingly at AJ, "And it depends when my doctor husband gets out of bed!" She yelled out into the hallway angrily, "Tell me… what did you do to that girl? I didn't order you to hurt her." She said.

"I broke her arm." Bray said, "Just to keep her from going anyway." He smiled.

"You're a smart one." She nodded, "Ok, you can leave now. Go back to the bar." She nodded to her brother who walked by her and out of the hut like house.

The woman smiled as she turned to AJ, walking further over to her and placing her hand on her bump, "My baby." She smiled, "We haven't been _properly_ acquainted yet, April." She turned to AJ who was still out cold, "I'm Abigail. But we have met." She smiled, moving her hand from AJ's bump to caress her cheek, "I poured you a glass of water in my bar." She nodded, "I never knew you'd be the one to give me my baby." She smiled "But you are." She said, leaning down and pressing a kiss on AJ's lips, pulling back and looking on at AJ.

"Soon."

* * *

 **A/N: More coming! Let me know what you think!**


	41. Time Is Ticking

**Time Is Ticking**

* * *

"You're such a brave girl, baby." Punk nodded, walking down the hospital corridor with Nova who had a cast on her very much broken arm. He wanted to be out on the streets looking for AJ but right now his daughter needed him. She looked scared and upset and he was going to be there for her.

"I want mommy." Nova sighed, walking down the corridor, holding Punk's hand with her free hand. She was drowsy from all of the pain medication the doctor had given her, and also from being in so much pain. She was curled into Punk the entire time the doctor put her cast on. Punk's heart was breaking at the sight, and his anger was breaking too at the thought of someone coming into her bedroom and literally snapping her arm. Not to mention his pregnant girlfriend was out there somewhere that he didn't know. He didn't know if he could keep it together for much longer.

"I know you want mommy, and I'm gonna get her." Punk nodded to Nova, "But right now, you're gonna go home with Eve, and you're gonna go for a sleep and rest your arm." He said as he approached his waiting friends who were having leads on everywhere, keeping their eyes and ears opened.

"I want her now." Nova sniffled. She really wanted a hug from her mother. Her father was great, and comforting, but there was just something about her mother's hugs that made it all better.

"I know you do, princess." Punk nodded, crouching down in front of her, "I'm gonna go get her and you can see her soon. I promise you." He said, "You're so brave and strong." He looked into her eyes as she sighed, "So brave." He nodded, leaning forward and kissing her head.

"Did the scary man hurt mommy too?" Nova asked him sadly as Punk looked at her and sighed.

"No." He said, "No, mommy is fine." He said, he wouldn't let her worry, "You're gonna go with Eve to her house, she's gonna watch you." He cupped her cheek softly as Nova just nodded, "Ok, good girl." He said, kissing her head again and standing up straight, looking over at his friends and nodding as they walked over.

"Woah, look at that cast." Dean smiled, "You're gonna need to let me sign that later." He nodded to Nova who smiled a little as she looked at her cast.

But Nova wasn't up to playing around with her uncles, she just walked over to Eve who picked her up into her arms. The five-year-old was traumatized, and tired, and frightened, and she just wanted to feel safe. It broke Punk's heart, and he really couldn't be held accountable for what he was going to do to the person who was behind all of this.

"I'll let you know how she is." Eve nodded to Punk.

"Thanks." Punk smiled softly, watching Eve walk out of the hospital with Nova curled into her, "You guys got anything? Checked the apartment security footage?" Punk asked them with frustration.

"Yeah, they went out the back with her. There was a woman and a man." Seth said, "The man was carrying AJ like she was… unconscious." Seth nodded as Punk ran his hand through his hair, turning around and punching the nearest wall as some people around the hospital turned around.

"Ok, just… calm down." Dean sighed, placing his hand on Punk's shoulder as Punk turned around in a flash and grabbed him by the shirt collar, pushing him up against the nearest wall angrily.

"Don't fucking tell me to calm down!" Punk shouted, "My pregnant girlfriend is out there. My daughter's arm was just fucking snapped." Punk spat, "Don't tell me to calm down!" He yelled as Rocky and Seth pulled him away.

"Ok. Ok." Dean put his hands up, "We're doing all we can, Punk." He shook his head.

"I want every fucking uniformed officer out there looking for her. I don't care if we have to start searching houses and cars. Just do it." Punk told them, "If anything happens to her or the baby, I swear to God." He shook his head. He felt like he was going out of his mind. He felt like a target. And he felt like if they didn't find AJ soon, then bad things were gonna happen.

"Phil, we've got all our officers out there but… we don't know what we're looking for yet." Rocky said as Punk turned to him, "A man and a woman. That's it. From what Nova said, the guy has long hair and a long beard. From the security footage he looks pretty built, a big guy, and the woman sort of skinny, but we couldn't get a good look. They knew were the cameras were. They… They'd been planning this." Rocky nodded as Punk put his hands on his hips.

"I don't care if we don't know what we're looking for. You all know what April looks like. That's enough information." Punk said, "Instead of standing here, we should be out there looking for her." He shook his head, rushing by them frantically as they all sighed. He looked like he was one gentle nudge away from a breakdown, and they completely understood why.

* * *

A few hours later, AJ began to wake up out of her unconscious sleep near sunrise. She only knew it was sunrise because of the light seeping through the bottom of the curtains in the compressed, small room she was in.

It took her a while to come around, but when she did, she noticed she was in what looked like a hospital gown, tied down to a single bed. She looked around to see the towels piled up beside a tray that had different doctor's equipment.

"N-No…" She shook her head, trying to get up, still drowsy and sleepy but remembering everything, remembering Nova screaming, "Nova!" She yelled out, trying to get up from the bed, but her hands were tied, literally to the side of the bed, "No." She whispered to herself as she tried her hardest to get up from the bed, but it was no use.

She wasn't stupid, she might have been still drowsy, but she could see around the room what was going on. There was a bassinet over in the corner, there was forceps on the tray, towels stacked high, and she was lying on a bed in a gown, not having any remembrance of getting into it. She'd been in some scary situations before, but never like this. She was genuinely scared for not only her life, but her baby's life too.

She struggled for a little while longer until finally the room door opened, watching a face she recognised come in. She had straggly long, brown hair and a terrifying look on her face, yet with a picture-perfect smile. She knew she'd saw her somewhere before, but she couldn't figure out where.

"You're awake." Abigail smiled as she looked across at AJ, "You slept for quite some time." She nodded, walking over to the bed, placing her hand on AJ's bump as AJ watched with fear.

"Take your hands off of me!" AJ yelled, trying so hard to pull her hands free but it was impossible, "I-I know you… Where do I know you from?" AJ spat as Abigail grabbed a chair from over in the corner and sat it by AJ's bedside.

"I have a bar." Abigail smiled, "I poured you a fresh glass of water a few months ago." She said as AJ shook her head.

"You… It was you… all those girls." AJ gasped, suddenly being able to join up those dots that her and Punk could never work out, "You… that's where I saw the pick-up truck." She nodded. She'd had many nightmares over the past few months about a pick-up truck she had seen before, but couldn't remember where, and now that it all came back to her, it was sat outside the bar, "That's how you knew to dump the body in a blind spot at the bar. Because you own it." AJ nodded.

"You're so smart, April." Abigail smiled, caressing AJ's cheek as AJ stared daggers at her, "My baby is going to be so smart." She looked at her bump.

"That is my baby." AJ spat harshly, "What-What did you do to my daughter?" AJ asked, "Where is she?" She asked with fear. Not knowing what happened to Nova was destroying her inside.

"She's fine. Trust me." Abigail said, "Don't stress. Stress isn't good for the baby now, is it?" She asked.

"You murdered those girls." AJ spat, "You loured them into your truck and you killed them and dumped them." AJ said, "Why?" She asked.

"I was looking for the right one." Abigail said, "I can't have children, you see." She explained, "So this is my only option."

"Your only option?!" AJ yelled, "What about adoption? And surrogacy?" AJ spat, "This is kidnap!" She yelled, "And you're a murderer. You murdered those poor girls."

"They weren't right for me." Abigail said, "My husband is a doctor. He told me about the girls one by one when they came to the hospital for their appointments. He's a very good lookout, my husband." She smiled, "But they weren't quite right." She shook her head.

"So you killed them?" AJ spat.

"I released them, yes." Abigail nodded, "And then he found you. Bipolar. Beautiful. Smart. Strong. I knew you were the perfect one to give us what we wanted." She said, "So we waited."

"My-My doctor?" AJ shook her head, "Doctor Harrison?" Her lip quivered as Abigail nodded. AJ felt sick. To know someone she was comfortable with, someone she was acquainted with in trusting him with the health of her child was actually part of triple murder, and had been setting her up for this… it made her feel sick. Literally.

"I'm Abigail." She smiled, "And my brother Bray, he helps out when he can. He's going to be a terrific uncle." She nodded as AJ tried to take deep breaths, feeling like she was going to pass out. This couldn't be happening. This had to be a nightmare she was going to wake up from soon.

"Please don't hurt my baby." AJ shook her head, "Please."

"Oh, April. I'd never hurt my baby." Abigail shook her head, "And I don't want to hurt you either, but I am going to do whatever it takes to get my baby out of you." She said, "If that means cutting you open and leaving you to bleed out… then I'm going to do it." She nodded as AJ looked across at her with fear.

"You will get caught." AJ nodded, "You won't get away with this." She shook her head.

"The procedure will happen tonight." Abigail stood up, placing her chair back where it was behind the door, "Since my husband is a doctor, he will deliver our baby. If you don't cooperate, he will cut you open and he won't stitch you back up." She said as AJ gulped, "If you cooperate, you will be induced with Pitocin and your waters will break." She said, "There will be no epidural or comforters. I don't want my baby drugged." She said, "Either way, that baby is out tonight."

"I'm only eight months." AJ shook her head, threatening to start crying, "Please, the baby isn't ready to come." AJ begged as Abigail nodded.

"It'll be ok." Abigail said, "We have everything here to develop the baby from the minute it's born." She nodded.

"And what about me?" AJ gasped.

"You're not our main priority, April." Abigail shrugged, "My baby is."

"It is not your baby!" AJ screamed, beginning to lose it as she tried to get off the bed, frustration and panic setting in as Abigail sighed.

"Oh, April. Just calm down." Abigail said, "I'm going to make you a spot of breakfast. You have to keep healthy for my baby." She smiled, "And I will force feed you, so don't be getting any ideas." She said as AJ looked across at her, "Relax, beautiful girl. Today is a good day." She nodded, leaving the room as AJ rolled her head back onto the pillow and started crying.

She was completely terrified and never thought she would have ended up in the grips of the killers who killed pregnant women. Now she knew the motive behind it and it all made sense. How Abigail worked at the bar and new to place the second body at a blind spot. The pick-up truck at the bar that lead to the tyre marks to the third body. The doctor involved with knowing the girls were pregnant and letting his wife track them down.

It was terrifying and for the first time she didn't have a plan. She was helpless. Her and the baby. And they needed out of this place, sooner rather than later.

* * *

"How is he? Is he ok?" Punk asked, getting back into the apartment after spending the full night out looking for AJ and looking for any sort of leads. He'd left a female officer with Ace in the apartment. He had just been given a sedative thankfully, but Punk wanted someone to be there with him.

"He's a little drowsy and sleepy but… he'll be fine." The officer nodded over to Ace who was laying in his bed tiredly as Punk nodded, "You got anything yet?" She folded her arms.

"No, Chrissy. Not yet." Punk sighed to himself, "We know a man and a woman took her. That's about it." Punk sighed.

"We'll not stop looking." Chrissy said, "You just gotta stay positive." She said, placing her hand on his arm as he nodded, "I guess this town hasn't been great for pregnant women, huh?" She shook her head as Punk looked at her.

"No." He said with sudden realisation, "No, it hasn't." He rushed away over to the kitchen table where a few of AJ's files were sitting, opening up the cold case of the three girls who were murdered, "That's why there was so long of a wait. That's why things were just… paused." Punk looked over at her as she walked over.

"What? You think the people who killed those girls have took April?" She asked him as he nodded.

"I know it." Punk nodded, "Can you page out for eyes and ears on any pick-up trucks around this area last night." Punk said whilst flicking through the folder and refreshing his memory, remembering the older women telling him she saw a woman louring one of the girls that was killed into a pick-up truck. It could have perhaps been the same woman who was taking AJ out of the apartment with the man.

"I'm on it." Chrissy nodded to him, rushing out of the apartment and raising her walkie talkie to her mouth to give out Punk's orders.

He'd never been more motivated. This was personal. Deeply personal. This was his pregnant girlfriend potentially in the hands of killers who had killed three pregnant women. AJ was not the next victim. He wouldn't let it happen and whilst looking through the folder, he saw that AJ had added some notes to the folder, having circled the word 'bar' in bold. And then he remembered the nightmares she had, and the bad feeling she had about the bar that one of the bodies was found outside…

 _"I was at the station." AJ nodded casually, walking off and placing her coat over on one of the kitchen chairs._

 _"April, don't lie to me." Punk shook his head, walking over to her as she sighed, "Where the hell were you? It's 1am."_

 _"I was at the bar. Where one of the girls was killed outside. It has to be someone who… who knows that it was a blind spot beside the bar. It could be a local." AJ said, "I had to go check it out."_

 _"No, April. You didn't have to do anything." Punk said, "You have to learn how to separate your home life and your work life. We can't… We can't bring it home like this. Nova even tells us how much we talk about work." Punk said, "When we walk through that apartment door, we should forget about everything."_

 _"No, we shouldn't." AJ said, "There are people dying out there." She said, "Young girls and their unborn babies. We have to start making progress for this. We can't just sit around." She shook her head frantically._

 _"You can't go to bars at 11 o'clock at night and just stay there looking at people. The killer isn't gonna come slap you in the face and introduce themselves." Punk said, "In fact, whoever it is, probably is in hiding, not sitting having a pint at a bar."_

 _"I just wanted to have a look around." AJ said, "It's my job. Ok. I'm nosey, I like to know what people are doing and why they're doing it." She said._

He wished he had let her role with the punches when she had a bad feeling about the bar.

* * *

 **A/N: Will Punk figure it all out in time or will it be too late? Let me know what you think in the reviews!**


	42. Lost And Found

**Lost And Found**

* * *

"So, you think that bar that body number two was found outside, has something to do with all of this?" Seth asked, standing in a boardroom at the station with Punk later on. Punk hadn't gone to sleep. He refused to. He wouldn't rest until AJ was found, and time was precious right now.

"It's someone who goes to that bar." Punk nodded, "AJ checked it out months ago, said she had a bad feeling about it, but I just thought it was because she was manic." Punk shook his head, "She said it was drawing her into something. How… how someone had to have known the blind spots of the cameras from the bar." He looked at them all.

"Why the wait?" Rocky asked, "If it's the people or the person who killed those three girls… why wait all this time to then attack again?" Rocky said.

"I have no idea but I know it's linked." Punk said, "Wherever the killer was taking the bodies to kill them, that's where… that's where AJ is right now." Punk gulped. He just had a feeling. He was glad AJ always managed to leave some notes behind, but he supposed he would have been gladder if no one had taken her at all.

"So what… you think it's someone who goes to that bar?" Dean asked, "That could be a lot of fucking people." He shook his head.

"I don't know!" Punk groaned, "I'm saying the bar has something to do with it." He said, "It has to be." He said, "Has anyone got anything on the pick-up truck?" He asked them.

"No, still nothing. They went out the back of the apartment building. Probably took back roads." Seth said, "We've got people checking out that bar right now, it's not opened yet so we've got some cops waiting across the road keeping an eye on it for it opening up." He nodded.

"You know that if we don't find her tonight…" Rocky began as Punk looked up at him, "We page out for a body." He said.

"Yes, Rocky. I've only been working here for fifteen years." Punk spat as Rocky looked across at him sadly, "Sorry." He shook his head, "I can't let anything happen to her, ok? That's not an option. She's… she's gonna be waiting on us finding her and I'm not letting her down." He told them, "She is eight months pregnant. She won't be able to… defend herself properly." He said, "Now, we need to find her tonight. There is no other option." He told them as they all nodded.

"We'll find her." Dean nodded, patting Punk on the back, "We will find her." He said as Punk nodded, taking a deep breath as he tried to compose himself. He was truly struggling. The thought of AJ being hurt, or their baby being hurt, was holding him back from doing his best work. He was just panicking and he barely knew what to do.

"Brooks, do you copy?" Punk heard his walkie talkie on his side strap vibrate, "Brooks, do you copy?"

"What?" Punk picked up the walkie talkie, holding in the button.

"We got a guy opening up the bar. Matches the same description your daughter gave us. Big and hairy." The officer spoke through the walkie talkie as they all jumped up and began getting their things as Punk put his hand out to calm them all down, "You want us to make a move?"

"No!" Punk almost yelled, "No, just stay there and make sure he doesn't leave. If he leaves then you can make a move. I'll be there." He said.

"Copy that." The officer said, Oh and Brooks…" He spoke up again as Punk listened in, "He arrived in a pick-up truck." The officer said as Seth rubbed his hands together whilst Rocky left to go receive the number plate.

"Ok, send the plate through to Rocky so he can track it." Punk said.

"Copy that." The officer said, hanging up as Punk looked at all of them.

"Ok, let's go." Punk nodded as they all quickly left the station.

* * *

Punk, Dean and Seth arrived at the bar where they parked across the road, giving the thumbs up to the other police car, allowing them to move on. Seth managed to identify the man as the man in the security footage carrying AJ out of the apartment. It was definitely him.

"Ok, if he runs go for the legs. We need this motherfucker alive." Punk said as they both nodded, getting out of the car as they began to walk up the small hill into the bar car park. Punk was trying his damn best not to just launch himself at the larger man who perhaps was the freakiest, scariest looking dude he'd come across. But he knew this was their chance at finding out where AJ was.

"Excuse me." Dean said as the man, Bray, was unloading crates of beer from his pick-up truck, pausing when he heard Dean, "Could we borrow a few minutes of your time." Dean said calmly as the man turned around to look at them. He had a straw hat on, baggy white pants and a Hawaiian shirt.

Knowing this man had walked into his daughter's bedroom and broke her arm was having a hard time settling with Punk, and he really wanted nothing more than to just beat the guy to a pulp, but he knew he couldn't.

"Can I help you all?" Bray clasped his hands with a small smile, "What seems to be the matter, gentlemen?" He smiled in a husky voice as Punk walked up to him, holding out a picture of AJ.

"You saw this woman?" Punk asked, "She's eight months pregnant." Punk said, wanting him to answer them first, "She was taken from her apartment two nights ago." Punk said, "You recognise her face?" He said, practically shoving the picture in the larger man's face.

"I'm afraid I have not." Bray smiled calmly, "Sorry, gentlemen." He nodded, about to walk away when Punk grabbed his arm as Bray turned around quickly to look at the grip he had on him, "Please, take your hands off of me." Bray said in a calming voice, "Do not touch me." He warned as Punk looked at him.

"What'd you do with her?" Punk asked her, "Huh? Where is she?" He spat, "Where is she?!" He yelled as Bray stayed calm, creepily calm.

"Let's just take him in." Seth shook his head, grabbing his cuffs and beginning to cuff Bray who just laughed.

"Oh, boys. You're making a huge mistake. Tell me, what is the reason for all of this?" He asked them as Seth cuffed him and pushed him forward whilst Dean made sure Punk didn't lose his head.

"He'll talk. Trust me." Dean patted Punk on the back, "I'm gonna search the truck and call forensics out. You go back to the station with Seth and get that fucker to talk." He said as Punk nodded, walking off to follow Seth, trying to keep his cool.

* * *

"I have to go to the bathroom." AJ said, laying on the bed lifelessly after Abigail had just fed her lunch since her hands were tied. She was beginning to lose hope on anyone finding her. She had no idea where she even was. If someone was going to find her, they would have by now.

"Ok then, I'll take you." Abigail smiled as AJ rolled her eyes. She was beyond the point of kicking and screaming. There was no one to kick. She was just lying there, praying to a God she didn't believe existed.

Abigail began untying her wrists from the bed and her feet from around each other. AJ immediately began to figure out if she could grab something to just stick in Abigail and make a run, but she didn't know who else was beyond the bedroom door, so she waited.

"See how nice I can be when you just cooperate with me?" Abigail smiled to her, guiding her out of the spare bedroom, walking by the nursery as AJ almost fell over. The whole thing was decorated with so much things in it. Things her and Punk hadn't even gotten yet. A crib, a changing table, a dresser, everything. It was fully decorated and she almost fell to the ground at the sight of it. This woman really was going to take her baby.

"How do you expect to get away with this?" AJ asked calmly.

"Just like we got away with those girl's murders." Abigail smiled, "No one is going to know, April. And you will be forgotten." She nodded as AJ gulped, "Here is the bathroom." She opened up the door, "On you go." She nodded as AJ slowly walked into the bathroom, about to shut the door when Abigail forced it open, "This stays open." Abigail warned as AJ just nodded, sitting down on the toilet seat to do the toilet whilst Abigail stood and watched.

"Do you have to watch me?" AJ asked, hugging her arms.

"I enjoy watching you." Abigail smiled, "You're very beautiful." She said as AJ shook her head, doing what she had to do and standing back up, flushing the toilet and washing her hands as she tried to glance around for razors or something sharp, but there was nothing, "Better?" Abigail smiled as AJ nodded slowly, beginning to walk out of the bathroom slowly as she took her shot, clasping her hands together and punching Abigail in the gut, taking the wind out of her as she immediately began to take off through the small house, running off until she bumped into the doctor coming through the front door, the same doctor who had kept up to date with her pregnancy appointments at the hospital, the same doctor who had stitched her head when she got hit by the car. That same doctor.

"Going somewhere?" Harrison asked as AJ backed away from him, feeling Abigail yank her hair, tilting her head back.

"Now we're not going to try anything like that again, April. Are we?" Abigail asked as AJ winced at the tight grip she had on her hair.

"Bad news." Harrison said as Abigail looked across at him whilst keeping a tight grip on AJ, "Bray has been taken in."

"What?!" Abigail squealed as AJ's ear drum almost burst, "How could that have happened? How could they have figured it out?" She spat.

"I don't know." Harrison said, "But he's in custody right now."

"God dammit!" Abigail spat as AJ began to feel a glimpse of hope again. She knew Punk would figure it out. He was the smartest cop in the station, and she knew he'd be desperate to find her, "We'll have to get our baby out right now." Abigail said as AJ's face dropped.

"What? No." AJ shook her head, "No, place." She tried to wriggle out of Abigail's grip, "Please don't." She cried, sliding down to the ground as Abigail lifted her up and dragged her back into the spare room, "Please!" AJ screamed, "Please don't do this." AJ cried as Abigail tied her arms back down to the bed, not touching her legs however, "Please don't." AJ cried, gasping for air.

"I'll get ready." Harrison nodded into the room as AJ shook her head.

"Please don't." AJ cried, "Please!"

* * *

"You were spotted with a woman, carrying this girl out of her apartment two nights ago." Punk said, slamming the picture of AJ down on the desk in the interview room with Bray who had his hands cuffed, looked on at Punk calmly, "So you better tell me where the fuck you took her, right now. I'm not fucking around here." Punk said.

Seth was hesitant to let Punk in a room alone with Bray, but Punk assured him he'd keep his cool. He just had to think of AJ and the baby, and getting to their aid right away.

"I've never saw that woman, my friend." Bray smiled, "I cannot help you." He shrugged.

"We saw you!" Punk shouted, slamming his hand down on the desk, "We fucking saw you carry her out of the apartment. You took her in that fucking pick-up truck and you put her somewhere!" Punk yelled, "Tell me where the fuck she is!" Punk demanded.

"Officer, I don't know." Bray whispered softly, "We are all… trapped, in our own identities." He began.

"Oh for crying out loud." Punk turned away putting his hands over his face.

"We are all prisoners to society." Bray said, "You cannot capture me. I am already imprisoned in my own identity." He said as Punk turned to him.

"What the fuck are you even saying?!" Punk spat, "Look, she is eight months pregnant. She is innocent. She's a mom. She has a five-year-old little girl who needs her." Punk said, "Please… I know you know where she is." Punk nodded, "Tell me."

"I do not know." Bray said calmly, not giving in, "I surrender to no one." He whispered as Punk looked at him, his palms sweating as he no longer could contain himself.

"Where is she? Where the fuck is she?" Punk spoke fast, "Huh?" He grabbed the hat from him and pulled him by the hair, "Where is she?" Punk spat as Bray chuckled.

Punk smacked his head down off the desk, pulling him back by the hair again, "You broke my daughter's arm?" Punk spat, smacking his face off the desk again and pulling his head back, "You put your hands on my girlfriend?" Punk spat, smacking his face off the desk again where his nose started to bleed, yet Bray continued to stay calm.

"She'll be with the angels of heaven now." Bray whispered as Punk tackled him off of the chair and onto the ground, punching him continuously as Bray didn't have a choice but to take them since his hands were cuffed.

"Tell me where she is!" Punk screamed, his slicked hair falling in front of his eyes, "Tell me!" Punk screamed as officers rushed into the room, grabbing Punk off of him, "Tell me!" Punk screamed, his eyes almost popping out of his head as he was pulled away kicking and screaming.

"Get the fuck off of me!" Punk yelled, pushing the officers away who were holding him back, walking off into the station as he felt the room spinning, placing his hands on the nearest desk as he got his breath back, running his hands through his hair to slick it back again, the blood dripping from his knuckles onto the floor below.

"Phil!" Punk heard in the distance, feeling light headed as he looked up, "Phil." Rocky ran up to him, "We got a lead, man. We found a track on the truck from a week ago. Going to a house on a cut off slip road." He said as Punk looked up at him, "I think it's a hit." He nodded.

"O-Ok." Punk nodded, gasping for air, "Ok. Let's go. Get an attack team and an ambulance ready." Punk nodded, thinking of the worst.

"On it." Rocky patted Punk on the shoulder as Punk grabbed his things and ran out of the station.

* * *

Punk arrived at the address Rocky had magically found, being the tech God that he was. It was a little hut house just off a dirt road and through some muck. He never even knew it was there which explained a lot.

As soon as they pulled up, the attack team got out, waiting on Punk's go ahead as Punk walked up the steps to the house, putting his foot through the door and holding his gun out in front of him, slowly walking through the very quiet house, walking past the nursery, choosing to ignore it, approaching the closed spare room door, slowly pushing down on the handle and opening it up.

"Oh my God." Punk lost his breath, walking into the spare bedroom where AJ lay with her hands tied to the bed, a pool of blood on the bed between her legs as she looked up at him, "April." Punk said in a shaky voice, putting his gun back in his pocket and cupping her cheeks with shaking hands.

"Can I get some help!" Punk screamed out as the attack team charged in, "EMT'S!" Punk yelled to them as a few of them gasped at the sight they saw.

"She… She took… took the baby." AJ said quietly as Punk looked around at the bloody towels on the floor.

"April, stay with me, baby." Punk whispered, cupping AJ's cheek as her eyes opened and closed, "Stay with me. We're gonna get you help, ok? You're ok." Punk nodded, wiping the sweat from her pale forehead. The room looked like a blood bath. From what he could see, she hadn't been cut opened, but it seemed there was more blood out of her than inside her and that worried him… not to mention their baby was now gone and he didn't know where, and AJ was in no fit state to know anything.

"B-Baby." AJ said, "Our… d-daughter." AJ gripped his arm desperately as he shook his head with disbelief whilst the EMT's came in and started to attend to AJ, "F-Find her." AJ begged, passing out as Punk held her cheeks in his hands.

"April." Punk said, "April, stay with me." Punk begged.

"Sir, please leave the room we need to get her to a hospital as quick as possible." One of the EMT's said, pulling Punk lightly away as Punk froze at the sight. He felt numb and so lost.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	43. Anything For Love

**Anything For Love**

* * *

"How is she? Is she ok?" Dean asked as he rushed down the hospital where Punk was standing outside AJ's room, "Hey, man. Talk to me." Dean said, having to grab Punk's face to look at him, "Take a deep breath and talk to me." He nodded, releasing his hands from his face as Punk nodded.

"Uh… she's had a few blood transfusions, and the doctor says she has an infection." Punk shook his head, "She's… she's the only one that can tell us who has the baby." Punk shook his head, placing his hand over his forehead, "And she's not waking up any time soon." He said, turning to the window and looking through where AJ lay in bed, a drip in her hand and oxygen tube around her nose.

"Phil, we have everyone out looking. Whoever it is that has the baby couldn't have gone far, alright? It looked like you just missed them." Dean nodded.

"I spent too much time interrogating that useless piece of shit in the station." Punk said, "I wasted time and now…" He shook his head, "The baby is early, man. It won't be ok out there." Punk shook his head, crouching down and burying his hands over his face. He couldn't get the image of AJ lying in her own blood out of his mind. He couldn't believe something like this was actually happening, and now their baby was out there with a psychopath, "It's a girl." Punk nodded, standing back up straight as Dean smiled softly, "At least, that's what AJ said before she passed out." Punk said, turning around and looking through the window at AJ.

Having her here, safe and recovering as best as she possibly could be, was a blessing, but he couldn't rest. Their baby was out there, and he was trying his hardest not to think of the worst, but this was a small premature baby. He knew if he thought about it too much he'd fall apart, and he wouldn't be able to find the strength he needed to go out there and bring their baby to safety.

"Please tell me we've got something to track them with." Punk sighed quietly whilst looking on at AJ through the window. She looked so small. She'd been through so much. The one thing he wanted, was to have their baby in his arms when she woke up. He couldn't face having to tell her that she was still out there.

"We searched the house, it looks like they made a quick getaway." Dean said, "Here's where things get a little bit strange." He said, beginning to walk out of the hospital with Punk who was going to stop at nothing to find his daughter. She was coming home with them. She was their baby.

"Tell me." Punk nodded.

"Well, it's a couple and the guy… the guy was AJ's doctor." Dean said as Punk turned to him with confusion, "Doctor Harrison ring a bell to you?"

"Are you serious?" Punk shook his head, "He's been monitoring AJ's pregnancy from all the way back when she got hit by that car." Punk said, "Are you sure it's him?" Punk asked.

"Yeah, it's him." Dean nodded, "And the girl, Abigail, she's our guy in custody's sister. Seth done some digging. She lost a baby. It was still born. She's also bipolar which might conclude why she went for AJ and not the other girls. And it makes sense now, remember when we couldn't understand how the killers knew those girls were pregnant? Well, we checked and Doctor Harrison had appointments with all of them. Looks like he picked them out, Abigail took them in and killed them, and then Bray done the dumping in his truck. Quite the trio." Dean said as Punk sighed, placing his hands on his hips.

"Motherfuckers." Punk spat, "What? You actually think they want the baby to… to raise themselves?" Punk asked as Dean nodded.

"It's portrayed that way, yeah. Which might be a good thing. If they're attached to the idea of raising the baby, they'll probably keep it safe."

"Dean, they are psychopaths." Punk spat, "Don't think for a second that it puts me at ease that they want to keep her safe." Punk shook his head.

"I'm not saying that, but what I'm saying is, it could be worse." Dean said as Punk shook his head.

"I don't think it could get much worse. I really don't." Punk shook his head, "Does Rocky know what car they took off in?" Punk asked, getting into the car with him as he pulled out of the hospital car park and got onto the road, turning on the car radio to listen into conversations going back and forth.

"He's on it. Seth is talking to Bray, seeing if he can get through to him, asking where they were planning to take the baby." Dean nodded.

"It's like talking to a brick wall with that guy. He's wasting his time." Punk shook his head, listening to the radio suddenly as it picked up with some hopeful information.

"This is 10-30, we've got report of a couple with a baby at a gas station just passed Belmont Avenue, copy."

"How far away are you?" Punk picked up the speaker hopefully whilst keeping his eyes on the road.

"Five minutes." The officer on the line said.

"Surround the suspects, do you copy?" Punk asked, "Don't let them leave."

"Copy that." The officer said whilst other officers heard on their radio and began to head towards the gas station that had been reported. Punk knew that someone would have called in, especially when a couple were at a gas station with a new-born baby who was no doubt wrapped in a bloody blanket.

Punk and Dean eventually got to the gas station where a line of cop cars had been formed around the station, not allowing anyone to leave or get in. Punk immediately got out of the car, grabbing his gun as Dean followed.

"You have to be careful." Dean warned Punk who shot off towards the station where a car sat beside the gas with a woman in it clutching a white bundle, just as the doctor came out of the station in a rush, pausing as he saw the line of cops surrounding them.

"Stay where you are!" Punk yelled to him as he put his hands up, "Get out of the car!" He turned to the woman, "Get out of the car!" He shouted, watching as the woman opened the door and got out of the car.

Punk was so glad to hear the screaming and crying of the newborn. It might not have been a sign of good health particularly, but it was a sign of life and that was a blessing, to him anyway.

"You're not taking my baby." Abigail shook her head, "This is my baby. I-I just gave birth to her." She nodded, "We were-We were driving to a hospital."

"That is not your baby." Punk spat, watching at the corner of his eye as Harrison reached into his back pocket, taking out his gun as Punk turned in a flash and shot him dead before any of the other cops got a chance to.

Abigail looked over at Harrison and gasped, watching the blood seep from his chest as she cradled the crying newborn who was still bloody and not safe at all outside.

"You just… You just shot my husband." Abigail gasped.

"He was taking out his gun." Punk said, "Now you're gonna walk towards me right now." Punk nodded, "Nice and slowly. There's nowhere else for you to run." Punk informed her, "Move forward towards me, ok?" He said in a calm voice as Abigail looked around at all flashing lights and the officers pointing their guns.

"This is my baby!" Abigail cried, "I just gave birth to her!" She yelled as Punk gripped his gun tight with anger.

"Then bring her to me and I'll get you and her the medical help you need." Punk said, figuring he might as well try and lour her in like she had done with those three girls.

"No. I-I can go myself. She's ok. She's fine." Abigail said over the crying of the baby girl.

"Ok, then I'm gonna come towards you." Punk nodded, walking slowly towards her as she looked at him on high alert, "I know why you want her." Punk spoke to her calmingly, "She could have the same DNA as you." Punk nodded, walking towards her slowly, "Bipolar." Punk said as Abigail looked at him, "You want her to be just like you." He smiled.

"She will be." Abigail nodded.

"Then we should make sure she's ok, and healthy, right?" Punk nodded to her whilst lowering his hand to his side and making a 'come here' gesture for an officer to creep up behind him, "So let me take her and we'll get her the medical help she needs, and then you can have your baby." Punk nodded, standing right in front of Abigail now.

Abigail looked up at Punk in her frantic state, and looked down at the crying baby in her arms, and in her feverish state of mind, slowly passed the baby over to Punk who sighed a loud sigh of relief when he got the baby in his arms.

"Oh, ok." Punk sighed softly whilst looking down at the baby cradled in his arms, looking down at her and smiling. His baby girl. A little fighter like her mother and sister, "Ok, baby girl. Daddy's got you." Punk whispered quietly, turning around and passing her to Chrissy gently who immediately rushed off to get the baby to a hospital.

Punk immediately turned back around, taking his handcuffs out and turning Abigail around forcefully, "You have the right to remain fucking silent." Punk spat as he roughly handcuffed her hands behind her back, "You're under arrest for fetal abduction and kidnap." He spat, reciting what he had to in her ear whilst pushing her off to his car, putting her into the back as she shook and looked all around her.

Punk got into the car and drove off whilst keeping his eyes on Abigail from his rear-view mirror.

"You took my baby." Abigail repeated.

"No. You took _my_ baby." Punk corrected her.

* * *

Punk got Abigail into the station where she was taken into custody alongside Bray. He then walked back into the station, giving them all a satisfied nod as they clapped happily. It was always nice to end a hard, long-going case, but especially a case that had become personal to the station when one of their own was victimised.

"Thank you." Punk nodded to them all. They had all been tremendous, working around the clock, having to put up with his orders and his anger. They really were a team. A family.

"Now I'm taking a fucking vacation." He told them all as they chuckled whilst he walked by the desks and out of the station, getting into his car and getting on route to the hospital.

He got out of the car and headed up to maternity, only wishing it was under better circumstances than seeing his girlfriend unconscious and his baby taken away to get immediate medical attention.

He walked around the corners, finding AJ's room and looking through the window where she lay in the exact same position as he left her in, small and fragile, pale and hurt. He ran his hand over his hair and sighed, suddenly feeling a light tap of his shoulder as he turned around to see a nurse with a baby in her arms.

She was perfect in every single way imaginable. She had AJ's tanned skin and brown eyes, and there wasn't a mark on her. She was on the small side of course, but there she was, cradled into the nurse and looking up.

"She's perfect." The nurse smiled, passing her over to him as Punk got her in his arms properly, looking down at her and smiling tearfully, "Congratulations." She said, even though in different circumstances, this really was practically the first time he'd really got to hold her.

The nurse placed a hand on his arm and then left him with the baby whilst he stood outside AJ's room, walking on in and over to AJ's bed.

"You're perfect, aren't you?" Punk said as he looked at the baby wriggling in his arms, her big brown eyes staring at him, "Your mommy is gonna be so happy to see you when she wakes up." Punk smiled, getting a little choked up as he looked down at her. He still couldn't believe she was here. She was here and she was healthy. He had another daughter.

He only wished his girlfriend was conscious to celebrate with him…

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! I didn't want to drag the kidnap out too long, there's still more to come! Thanks for the reviews.**


	44. Scarred

**Scarred**

* * *

Punk stayed by AJ's side the entire night whilst baby girl Brooks, as the nurses were naming her, slept in the bassinet beside Punk's chair. He hadn't slept in over forty-eight hours and it was hard not to drift on and off to sleep on the arm chair whilst watching AJ in bed.

Punk became so unconscious on the chair that he didn't even hear Dean, Seth and Rocky walk through the door. After Punk had text them to let them know the baby was healthy, and AJ was still trying to make some sort of progress, they thought they'd come by with some things, but wound up coming into a room where all three, mom, dad and baby were asleep.

"Should we wake him?" Dena asked Rocky and Seth quietly.

"No, the man hasn't slept in like… two days." Rocky shook his head, "We should just sit our things down and leave. They need their space." Rocky nodded. They'd brought some gifts for the baby, and Eve had also packed a bag of clothes for AJ, giving it to Seth to hand in for when she woke up and wanted to get into her own nightwear.

"They've not had it easy, have they?" Seth sighed, wandering around the bed and placing his hand on AJ's forehead softly, brushing the hair out of her face whilst Punk snored on the chair beside, "Hey, Mendez." Seth sighed, taking AJ's hand, "You gonna get better, yeah?" He nodded, looking on at AJ. All their hearts went out to her. They didn't quite know the details of what had actually happened, Punk didn't even know. AJ hadn't been conscious to tell them, but they all knew it was bad, and they didn't know how it would affect AJ.

"Hey, you guys. Look." Dean whispered as he looked over the bassinet where the baby was awake and looking up at him, "Hi, precious." Dean smiled.

"You're probably scaring her." Rocky scoffed, "Let me see." He shoved Dean out the way and looked down at the baby girl, "She's adorable." He said as eventually all three of them crowded around the bassinet.

"They always make perfect kids." Dean shook his head, looking up and looking over at AJ, wandering over to the side of the bed and looking at her, "C'mon, AJ." Dean whispered, "Hang in there." He nodded. He wouldn't forget when AJ was there for him at his lowest of times. When he was unemployed and drunk. She never shut her door on him, and that was something he'd never forget. She was like a little sister, to all of them, and to see all this pain she'd gone through, it just wasn't fair, and they wished they could take it for her.

Punk began to wake up on the chair, grumbling a little before jumping when he saw three figures in the room around AJ and the baby, quickly sitting up ready to throw fists when he saw it was just his friends and shook his head.

"It's you guys." He nodded.

"Expecting someone else?" Dean turned to him, "Why don't you go home and sleep? Your neck is gonna be fucked on that thing." He said, "We'll stay here with AJ and the baby."

"No." Punk shook his head, "I'm gonna be here when she wakes up. I need to be." He nodded, looking over the bassinet at the baby girl, "She's pretty quiet." Punk smiled down at the baby, caressing her cheek with his finger softly.

"I don't know where the hell she gets it from. Not you or Dez that's for sure." Rocky said as Punk smiled, "Any update from the doctor on her?" He asked Punk as they all listened.

"No, not much. Just that she's… she's stable, I guess." Punk nodded, "She's doing good considering how we… how we found her." Punk nodded, still not being able to get the image out of his head. It would forever haunt him, but to him, the most important part was having both AJ and the baby safe.

"Do they know when she'll wake up?" Seth asked.

"They reckon soon. She'll be in here for a few days until they've got everything under control like her blood pressure, the infection…" Punk nodded, looking over to AJ, "I've never known someone so strong." He shook his head. She amazed him. After going through something so traumatizing and painful, she was still there fighting. She was a fighter. She always would be. And so was their baby girl.

"She's strong alright." Dean nodded, "I'd just… I'd be prepared for what this is going to do to her." Dean said as they all nodded, "Something so… scarring like that. It's bound to affect her in some way." He said as Punk nodded.

"I know." Punk sighed, "I'll be there for her." He said, sliding his hand over and taking AJ's hand gently into his, "I'll help her through it." He nodded.

"We all will." Rocky nodded as Punk smiled.

"Hey, Seth. How is Nova?" Punk asked Seth.

"She's good, man." Seth nodded, "When I went home there before coming here, she was up with Eve watching Scooby-Doo. She was helping Eve feed Tyler." Seth smiled, "Eve said she couldn't really get a good sleep but that she'd been ok." He said as Punk nodded with a thankful smile.

"I appreciate her looking after her." Punk nodded, "I'll get her once AJ wakes up and I can… go home and shower, pack a bag for AJ." He said.

"Uh, Eve already packed one." Seth said, "To save you the trouble." He said, "That's what she said anyway." Seth nodded.

"Thanks." Punk smiled.

"We'll head out." Dean said, "We just wanted to come by and drop some things off-"

"Yeah, what is all the bags?" Punk shook his head.

"Not for you." Dean said, "For the baby. Presents." He smiled, "And there's some stuff for AJ too." He said as Punk nodded with a smile.

"Well thank you… I'm sure the baby really appreciates it." Punk smiled over to the baby girl who was now fast asleep.

"No name?" Rocky asked.

"Not yet." Punk said, "I'll need to talk to AJ about it." He said, "She's just baby girl Brooks for the time being."

"That has a nice ring to it." Rocky nodded.

"What? Like Junior did?" Seth turned to him as Rocky scoffed.

"Can you guys ever let that go?" He asked them.

"Nope." Dean shook his head as Punk smiled. He appreciated their friends stopping by to see the baby and AJ. It had been hectic for all of them, and they were all a crucial part of finding AJ and the baby.

"Hey, listen. Thank you for your help over these past couple of days." Punk said, "Anything could have happened to them. I feel… lucky to have them both and I couldn't have done it without you or the rest of the station." He said, "So… thanks." He nodded to them as they smiled.

"It's what friends are for." Dean winked to him as Punk smiled.

"Alright." Punk said, "You goofs can go now I've said all I wanted to say." He said playfully.

"Well keep us updated on AJ." Seth said, "Text or call us when she wakes up." He said.

"I will." Punk nodded, "But… I think it's best we don't overwhelm her. Like you guys said, I don't know how she's gonna be waking up. But I'll keep you guys updated." He said as they all nodded, "And give Nova a kiss from me. Tell her mommy is ok." Punk nodded to Seth.

"Will I tell her she has a sister?" Seth smiled.

"No, I want to tell her. AJ should get to see her coming in to see the baby." Punk nodded, turning to AJ. He wasn't going to have his girlfriend miss out on this wonderful experience, even if it had been terrifying. They still had something to be thankful for and that was the safety and good health of their second baby girl.

"Ok, man. Take care." Seth nodded as they all left the room where Punk stretched on the arm chair and looked over at the baby girl again.

"Don't mind them. That was just your crazy uncles." Punk whispered turning around as he saw AJ begin to blink her eyes opened slowly but surely.

He sat up, shuffling his chair closer to her as he watched her eyes open, looking around the room as she turned to him, staring at him blankly as things began to process back to her, the nightmare of it all beginning to digest back into her brain as she regained consciousness, looking at Punk as her lip quivered. The last thing she remembered was him coming to her aid and her baby being taken.

"No… no, it's ok." Punk nodded, turning around and slowly wheeling the bassinet round for her to see as her eyes widened and she cried even more. She couldn't speak she didn't know what to say, but as soon as she saw a moving little angel in the bassinet, she almost wanted to scream with joy.

"M-My… my baby?" AJ asked him in a low voice as Punk nodded.

"She's ok, April." Punk nodded, "She's healthy and she's… she's safe." Punk said as AJ's lip continued to quiver as tears rolled down her cheeks past her oxygen tube as she nodded. It was all she needed to hear, and it was enough joy for her to seek comfort in until the memories began to flash back in her mind, the pain and the blood, that room, being tied down…

"April." The female doctor walked into the room as AJ looked over at her, her eyebrows narrowed as she still seemed a little out of it and drowsy, "How are you feeling?" She asked, holding AJ's medical record on a clipboard.

AJ just nodded, not knowing what to say.

"Ok, well you had an infection in your uterine lining, so we've gave you a course of antibiotics that should be kicking in." The doctor said, "You also lost a great deal of blood and we had to make three transfusions. It's normal for you to feel a little light-headed and nauseous." She nodded, "And we're keeping a close eye on your blood pressure. That needs to come down. It already has in the past few hours. So things are looking good." She smiled as AJ barely listened to a word she had said.

"I-I want to… I want to leave." AJ turned to Punk, "Get me out of here." She begged, looking on at the doctor who had her white coat on, exactly like Harrison had, exactly how she remembered, beginning to freak out as Punk watched her, "Get me out!" AJ yelled, sliding up the bed in pain, trying to pull at her drip in her hand and the tube around her nose.

"Hey, April April…" Punk said frantically, "It's ok, baby. You're ok. You're safe." He said, taking her hands so they couldn't pull at any of the hospital equipment, taking them tightly in his, "No one is gonna hurt you here. Ok?" He nodded as AJ calmed down, looking at him and crying as he sighed. It broke his heart to pieces to see her this way. He couldn't imagine how she felt after going through what she had gone through.

"They took her." AJ cried as the doctor sighed sadly, always aware of what had gone on.

"April, she's safe." Punk sighed, taking her hands and kissing them, "She's healthy and she's safe with us right now." He nodded.

"And she's beautiful." The doctor added as AJ looked up at her, "Maybe you'd feel better if you held her? Would you like to hold her?" She asked as AJ nodded immediately, gasping as she wiped her tears, watching as Punk scooped up the baby girl from the bassinet.

"She looks just like you." Punk smiled as AJ eagerly watched him, cradling out her arms as Punk placed the baby in her arms.

She hadn't got the chance to hold her yet. With Nova, she remembered everything from Nova being placed on her chest, to Punk cutting the cord, to holding her in a wrapped-up blanket. This had been so much more difficult. Having given birth where her baby was separated from her immediately. It had broken her, but holding her baby girl now was already mending her.

"Oh, she's beautiful." AJ smiled as she looked up at Punk as if in disbelief as Punk nodded with a smile.

"And she's got your eyes and your skin." Punk leaned over with a smile whilst the doctor crept out of the room with a smile, "She's so beautiful, April." Punk said as AJ smiled, taking the baby girl's hand with her thumb and forefinger.

"She's really ok?" AJ shook her head, "You-You got her?" She asked him as he nodded.

"With a little bit of help." Punk nodded, "Everyone is asking for you. You just missed the guys there."

"Where is Nova?" AJ turned to him frantically, "Where is… Where is Nova?" She shook her head, "She was… she was screaming and crying and I tried to get to her but I couldn't and-"

"Hey, calm down." Punk nodded to her.

"Nova is perfectly fine. She's with Eve right now watching Scooby-Doo." Punk smiled as AJ shook her head, almost surprised at how normal everything felt.

Punk decided he'd wait until AJ had come around more before telling her about Nova's broken arm. He didn't want to upset her when she'd just woke up.

"She's so beautiful." AJ shook her head as she looked down at their baby girl. She felt the love so strong already between her second daughter, but what she couldn't get out of her head was everything that had happened. She never believed she would. She felt emotionally attacked by what had happened… like she'd never be safe, or her babies would never be safe again.

"She's amazing." Punk smiled, "You're both gonna be ok." Punk nodded, rubbing her thigh softly under the sheet as she jumped a little, "S-Sorry." Punk shook his head as she just stared down at their baby.

She only wished everything felt perfect the way it should have, but things were far from perfect.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! AJ's road to recovery, conversation with Abigail and Bray, Nova meets her baby sister and lots more!**


	45. Sisters

**Sisters**

* * *

"You need to eat something." Punk said, sitting by AJ's bedside as morning passed by into afternoon. She'd shut herself off. After waking up and holding the baby, it was like she'd just shut off from everything and was just lying there. He knew this was bound to affect her on an emotional level. He couldn't imagine the pain and discomfort she'd gone through. Knowing that she was terrified, and in pain, and alone was breaking him apart, and he hated to see her like this.

"I'm not hungry." AJ told him quietly whilst keeping a close watch on the baby in her bassinet beside her, "Is she ok?" AJ asked him as Punk watched her closely.

"Yeah, just like she was five minutes ago when you asked." He said with a soft smile as she nodded slowly. She couldn't help it. She just kept asking if she was ok by default. She couldn't quite believe it that she had woke up to everything seeming pretty normal.

"Sorry." AJ shook her head.

"Don't be." Punk said, "You wanna… you wanna talk to me about what happened?" He asked her softly as she rolled her head back on the pillow and sighed. She was fully awake now, but she didn't know if she would rather be drowsy and unaware of where she was. Fully awake meant fully remembering everything, "You don't have to." Punk assured her after seeing the worry on her face, "Just… when you're ready." He nodded.

"I don't think you want to know." AJ shook her head as she looked at him, watching him gulp.

"I want you to know you aren't alone." Punk said, "And I'm here for you. You have me, you have our daughters… how weird does that sound, right?" Punk smiled to her as she pushed a soft smile, "And my dad wants to come visit you tonight, all our friends are there for you. The whole station is asking for you." He nodded, "You're not alone."

"I was alone." AJ nodded, "They-They tied me to a bed and made me give birth." She said as Punk sighed as he took her hand in his, "And I couldn't do anything to stop it." She cried. It was the first time in her career and her life that she'd been in a situation where she had no control or power over what was going on. Normally, she could fight her way out of a situation, and she wasn't vulnerable to do so, but last night, she didn't have the choice, "They took my baby and left me to bleed out." She said, "If you didn't get to me in time I would have died. I would have died in that room and my last thoughts… my last moments, would have been my baby getting ripped away from me." AJ said.

"You don't have to think about that." Punk said, "We got to you in time… you and the baby." Punk nodded, "They are going to prison for a very, very long time." Punk said.

"They killed those girls." AJ nodded, "It was them." She said, suddenly remembering everything coming back to her, slowly but surely letting Punk know.

"I know." Punk said, "We… put it all together. There were three killers or… one killer and two others who encouraged it." Punk said, "Number one was the doctor, he clearly picked out the girls, we looked back and all three of the murdered girls had saw him for their appointments, and obviously you had too." Punk nodded, "So that concludes how we couldn't figure out how the killer knew the girls were pregnant." Punk said.

"So then he told Abigail?" AJ asked, "And she loured them into the truck and killed them?"

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "She lost a baby. It was still born. And she's bipolar." Punk said as AJ raised her eyebrows, "Unmedicated." He said.

"I'll say." AJ scoffed to herself.

"I guess she picked on you because she figured she could pass the baby off as her own since… you're bipolar." Punk shrugged, "The other girls obviously weren't good enough for her." Punk shook his head.

"And it makes sense that she owns that bar, because of the blind spot the second body was found at." AJ said, "Only she could have known where the cameras all were." She nodded, "Wait, so who is the third person?" AJ shook her head.

"Her brother. Bray." Punk shook his head, "I guess he just plays the role of her heavy. Looks after the bar when she's not there." Punk said, "He was the one who came in and took you from the apartment." Punk nodded, feeling it time to tell AJ about Nova, "And… look, I didn't want to say earlier because you had just woken up but…" He looked into her eyes, "He broke Nova's arm." Punk said as AJ's mouth gaped.

"W-What?" AJ shook her head, "What?" Her lip quivered.

"She's ok." Punk immediately assured her, "She got a cast on and she was brave as hell." Punk nodded.

"He broke her arm?" AJ said in a high-pitched voice. Anyone who conflicted any pain on either of her daughters was dead to her. She couldn't even bare to think of it. Her little angel who was so innocent, being scared and in paid, "Did you find her?" AJ asked him.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "She was in bed crying." Punk said as AJ placed her hand on her chest. She wanted nothing more than to see her eldest daughter and squeeze her tight. She wasn't sad about her own struggles anymore, she was completely mad that someone dared put their hands on their daughter and hurt her.

"Is she really ok?" AJ asked.

"I've not spoke to her since she was at the hospital. I've been… everywhere." Punk said, "But Seth told me she's doing ok." Punk nodded, "She's brave, like her mom." He smiled.

"I really want to see her." AJ sighed to herself.

"I'll bring her in later on, if you're up to it?" Punk asked her as AJ nodded immediately.

"Yes. I want to see her." AJ said desperately, "She'll be so happy she has a sister." AJ smiled to herself as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, she'll be pretty excited." Punk smiled to himself, "We're gonna be ok. You know that, right?" Punk asked her as she nodded.

"I know." AJ whispered, "I just… can't stop thinking about. I thought I was going to die and dying whilst knowing that she wasn't safe was… the worst thing imaginable." AJ shook her head, looking over at their baby girl asleep in the bassinet.

"It's probably gonna weigh you down for a while." Punk nodded, not treading around the issue with her, she knew herself this was going to be a struggle to get over, "But I am here with you every single step of the way. Right beside you." He said, "I don't know about you but… I feel even more grateful to have her here." He nodded to the baby as AJ agreed with a smile.

"Me too." AJ smiled tearfully. She did feel blessed to have overcome something that could have ended so different. To have their baby with them, where she belonged, safe and sound, and to also be safe herself was something to be positive about, and she knew she had so much support, especially from her boyfriend coming out of this traumatising experience, but it was just going to take some time.

"We're gonna need to think of names." Punk admitted as he looked down at the baby girl with a smile.

"We are." AJ agreed with a smile.

"She can't be baby girl Brooks forever." He said as AJ smiled.

"We'll need to think." She nodded.

* * *

Later that night, Punk had left the hospital to go pick up Nova. He wanted to tell her in person that she had a baby sister, just to see the look on her face, and he couldn't wait to take her in to the hospital to see the baby and her mother.

He'd left AJ on positive vibes. She was having her moments now and then whenever she thought back to what happened, but she seemed to be keeping her head up. She was incredibly strong and Punk couldn't ask for a better role model for his daughter's. He really couldn't have.

He headed into Eve and Seth's house where Nova had been lodging for the past day or so, and watched as she came running to him once she spotted him.

"Daddy!" She exclaimed as he crouched down and caught her in a hug, squeezing her tightly without bumping her casted arm. It broke his heart to see her with a little cast. He was still reeling over someone putting their hands on her, never mind hurting her. The five minutes of violence he had with Bray wasn't enough in his opinion.

"How are you feeling, princess? How is your arm?" Punk asked her.

"It's ok." Nova shrugged, "Look, Uncle Seth drew on it and so did Aunt Eve." She showed him as Punk smiled, "You should draw on it too." She nodded to him.

"I will, don't worry." Punk nodded, "What have you been up to here?" He asked her, standing back up as he walked off into the living room with her where she had been sitting up watching movies and pretty much had been pampered by Eve, who was in the kitchen with Seth and their son.

"Just hanging out." Nova nodded casually as Punk smiled, "Me and Eve watched Scooby-Doo. I was gonna tell her to put on Enchanted but… she doesn't have it." Nova sighed dramatically, "She's never saw it so I wanted her to sees it." Nova shook her head.

"Oh, well I'm sure you could bring your copy over and watch it with her one night." Punk nodded.

"That's what I said to her." Nova nodded as Punk smiled.

"Well I got some news for you, kid." Punk said as Nova looked up at him, sitting beside him on the couch.

"What news?" Nova asked him.

"Good news." Punk smiled, "So… mommy had the baby." Punk nodded as Nova gasped.

"It's not in her tummy anymore?" Nova jumped off the couch.

"No not anymore." Punk smiled, "And guess what?" Punk said.

"What? What?" Nova jumped up and down impatiently.

"It's a girl." Punk nodded as Nova's mouth widened.

"Is it really?" Nova asked, "Is it really a baby sister?" She asked him.

"It's really a baby sister." Punk nodded, "And I think she wants to meet you." Punk said as Nova smiled excitedly. She was so happy that it was a girl. Punk had never saw a brighter smile on her and it zapped away all of the bad things that had happened in the past few days.

"Does she really wanna meet me?" Nova asked with fascination, "Is she really not in mommy's tummy anymore? Where is she?" Nova raced ahead.

"She's in the hospital with mommy. And she's all wrapped up in a blanket. She's real small. Even smaller than you when you were born." Punk said, "But she's here, and she's not in mommy's tummy anymore." He said as Nova grinned.

"Can I meet her now?" Nova asked her father.

"Yeah, go get your shoes on." Punk smiled as she rushed away, "Be careful." He told her, worried about how care-free she was running, even with a broken arm. Nothing was stopping her from meeting her baby sister. It was adorable.

* * *

"So when is my baby sister coming home?" Nova asked, walking along the hospital corridor with Punk holding onto his hand with the one that wasn't casted obviously, looking around curiously at the hospital walls and the people passing by, a little skip in her step as she headed to meet her sister. Punk had also gotten a chance to stop by and get something for the baby, for Nova to give her. It was just a little blanket and a soft pink teddy bear, but Nova insisted she get her something.

"She'll be home in a few days." Punk said, "And mommy will be too. But mommy will be extra tired so me and you gotta team up and help her with the baby, ok?" He said.

"Ok." Nova nodded, "Is mommy tired because the baby kept her awake?" Nova asked.

"Yeah, and it took up all her energy when the baby was in her tummy, so now she needs to get her strength back." Punk explained.

"Oh." Nova nodded, "Was the baby taking all of mommy's energy?" She asked with fascination.

"Yeah, pretty much." Punk nodded as they walked along the corridor.

"Woah, mommy is so cool." Nova gasped as Punk smiled.

"She is." Punk agreed, "Ok, this room here." He said, guiding her over to AJ's room and opening up the door for her as Nova spotted her mother sitting up in bed.

"Mommy!" Nova smiled, rushing over to the bed, knowing not to smother her mother but still climbing up beside her as AJ smiled, matching her excitement.

"Oh, baby. I missed you so much." AJ smiled, wrapping her arms around her little frame tightly. The thought of never seeing that little angel face again tore her to shreds, and she almost squeezed her to death, "You've been so brave, sweetheart." AJ said, pulling back from the hug as she looked at Nova's cast.

"I only cried a little." Nova nodded, "Daddy came and he helped me and the nice doctor fixed me." She smiled as AJ cupped her cheek softly.

"You're so brave, angel. So brave." AJ nodded as Nova smiled, turning around quickly as she looked over at the bassinet.

"Is this my baby sister?" Nova asked them, jumping down off the bed and walking over to the bassinet, tip toeing up as she looked in the bassinet at the sleeping little bundle, "Oh, she's sleeping." Nova whispered and then giggled, staring at her sister with fascination, "She's so small." She said, reaching her hand over and patting the baby softly, as if patting a dog.

Both AJ and Punk smiled. It was a beautiful thing to watch their daughter interact with the new baby, especially in such a positive way. There was nothing more important to them than both of their girls.

"You wanna know her name?" AJ asked Nova. She had automatically felt brighter then minute she saw Nova's little face. She was having her down moments of course, and she knew things weren't going to be easy, but what mattered the most was that all four of them were here, safe and together.

"What's her name?" Nova asked excitedly, looking over at AJ.

"Maggie." AJ smiled as Nova looked back to the baby.

"Hi, Maggie." Nova patted the baby softly as Punk smiled, watching as the five-year-old walked over to him, reaching into the bag he was holding for the soft, pink teddy bear, "Maggie, I got this for you." She said, walking round the bassinet and sitting the teddy at the corner, "Will she like it?" Nova looked up at her parents.

"I think she'll love it." Punk nodded, turning to AJ who was smiling tearfully, but it wasn't the tears she had earlier, it was happy tears whilst watching their daughters. It was good tears. They deserved good tears after all the bad.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	46. Nightmare Buddies

**Nightmare Buddies**

* * *

Punk stayed at the hospital with Nova for most of the night. His father had dropped in and out to see AJ and the baby, giving AJ a tight hug almost squeezing her to death. AJ hated that people were giving her hugs of sympathy when it should have been hugs of congratulations on the birth of their daughter. But she appreciated everyone being so kind, she just didn't want to be made a fuss of.

Dan didn't stay too long since he could see AJ getting tired, so he told them he would visit again the next day when she was a bit brighter. She was still in some discomfort and pain, and was still being closely monitored for her infection and blood pressure.

Nova, after watching Maggie for the remainder of the visit, eventually fell asleep on Punk's lap. She was upset she couldn't get to hold the baby because of her cast, so instead she just stood by her bassinet for the majority of the visit before falling asleep in Punk's arms.

"You should get her home and in bed." AJ smiled softly as she looked at Nova curled into Punk sleeping. It had really cheered her up to have her family all together. It had brought her out of a deep sadness she'd woken in, and was a reminder of what she was lucky enough to still have. Although, she knew she was far from over it. She didn't think she ever would be.

"I know." Punk nodded, looking down at Nova, "Hopefully she sleeps ok with her cast. Eve said she was waking up a few times." Punk said as AJ sighed.

"My poor girl." AJ said, reaching over and stroking Nova's cheek, "She's… She's so innocent." She shook her head. She was so angry and upset that she couldn't protect her daughter in time. She couldn't believe someone could be so vicious to go and break a little girls arm.

"I was in the room with him." Punk said, "I only got to beat the shit out of him for five minutes before they dragged me out kicking and screaming." He said as AJ smiled, "I think I broke his nose." He shook his head.

"I'd break every bone in his body if I got the chance." AJ told him firmly, and Punk knew she was serious. She was very protective over Nova, and Maggie. Maybe even more protective than him, and that was saying a whole lot.

"Just you focus on you right now. Don't worry about those…" He bit his tongue, "I don't even know what to call them. They're certainly not human." He said, "But… they'll be dealt with. You don't worry about them." He nodded.

"I want to speak to them. I want to speak to her." AJ nodded, "When I'm out. I want to know why she done it." AJ said.

"April, she's sick." Punk shook his head.

"Phil. I'm bipolar. I don't take people's babies." She said.

"Between me and you, I think there's more going on in her head." Punk said, "She'll probably be put into a mental prison." He nodded, "There's no reason for you to go anywhere near. Ever again."

"That's for me to decide." AJ said, "Maybe… maybe it might help me move on." She nodded as Punk just sighed. He didn't want to argue with her, so he just nodded and accepted what she was saying. He knew she was probably just thinking out loud, and he knew it was also her choice to do what she had to, to move on from all of this.

"I'll support you in… whatever way you choose to move on from this." Punk smiled softly as she nodded, "But all I'm saying is, don't worry. Just focus on you right now. Focus on getting better and eventually coming home." He nodded as she smiled.

"I can't wait to come home." AJ nodded to him.

The day had been a rollercoaster of emotions. From waking up in fear of having lost her baby girl forever, to the overwhelming joy of having her in her arms, to reliving all that had happened, to then realising she still had her family right by her side. All she wanted now was to get better, and get home with Maggie.

"I'll be here in the morning." Punk told her, "I'll bring you some food since I know you struggle with the mush they give you here." He nodded as she smiled.

"Bring Nova again." AJ nodded, "She… She cheers me up." She smiled looking on at Nova sleeping.

"She could cheer up a dead corpse." Punk agreed, kissing Nova's head softly as AJ smiled.

"You get some sleep too." AJ nodded to him, "Don't be stupid and waiting around to come back and visit me first thing. Just… get a sleep, get a shower, have some food… carry on like normal." She said.

"Get a shower?" Punk raised his brows, "Are you implying I smell?" He said as she smiled.

"No." AJ laughed softly, "I just don't want you to feel like you have to rush to my side every second. Carry on like we normally would if I'd had the baby under normal circumstances." She said.

"I'd still be rushing to your side, desperate to see you." He smiled as she gazed across at him. He was always there. Despite all the battles, him and all his sweetness was always there, and she knew it was a big help in getting over all of this.

"Well don't." AJ insisted modestly, "Me and Maggie are fine here. This is how parenting is gonna work for us now. You have one and I'll have one, and then we swap." She teased as he smiled.

"I've ran out of hands now." Punk admitted, thinking into the future of when he held both his daughter's hands on either side, "Ok, I'm gonna go." He nodded, standing up and holding Nova who rested her head on his shoulder, "You have a good sleep, yeah?" Punk said, leaning forward steadily and kissing AJ softly whilst still holding onto Nova.

"I'll try." AJ nodded, pulling back from the kiss and smiling up at him, "If Maggie doesn't wake me." She smiled over at the bassinet which Punk pulled closer to her bedside.

"She's so beautiful." Punk shook his head in disbelief as he looked down at Maggie in her bassinet, "I'll see you tomorrow, baby." He smiled down at the baby girl, not being able to crouch down and give her a kiss, so caressing her cheek softly instead as AJ smiled.

* * *

Once Punk got home to the apartment, he put Nova in her pyjamas and straight to bed. He then sat down with Ace at the couch, making sure the dog was ok. He was being regularly checked on by his dad, and Punk was also glad the dog was ok. He was a big part of the family too.

He didn't wait long however, until he headed to bed himself and collapsed on top, allowing Ace to jump up beside him.

He had to have been sleeping for a few hours until suddenly he began to hear crying from the next room. He immediately bolted up as did Ace who shot off the bed and ran to Nova's room, pushing the door open with his nose as Punk followed, rushing into the five-year-olds bedroom where she was crying loudly in her bed.

"Nova, baby, what is it?" Punk asked worriedly, crouching down by her bed whilst Ace paced up and down in her room, "Baby, what's wrong?" Punk asked with fear as Nova looked up at him, her cries turning to soft whimpers as she realised… it was just a bad dream.

"Had a bad dream." Nova sobbed, sitting up, her face and pillow wet with tears as Punk sighed, "Had a bad dream about the scary man, daddy." Nova cried softly.

"No man is gonna hurt you again, angel. I promise." Punk nodded.

"He came back." Nova nodded sadly, wiping her face from the tears, "He came back to hurt me." She cried as Punk sighed.

"He's not gonna come back, Nova. I promise." Punk cupped her cheek, "He's gone forever." He nodded.

"Forever?" Nova asked in a frail voice.

"Forever." Punk nodded, "No one is gonna hurt you. It was just a bad dream." He caressed her cheek softly as she whimpered, "Aw, baby. Come here." He pulled her covers back, opening his arms as she circled her little arms around his neck, "It's ok." He promised, rubbing her back softly.

"Can I sleep in your bed?" She cried, pulling back from the hug and grabbing her teddy bear, looking up at him hopefully.

"Yeah, c'mon." Punk nodded, lifting her up as she clung to him. She was almost shaking. She seemed really spooked and he didn't blame her. He just hoped this wouldn't affect her badly.

Punk left her bedroom and put her down on AJ's side of the bed, collapsing back on his side beside her whilst Ace jumped up and squeezed between them, resting into Ace as she took comfort in the furry dog.

"Daddy, do you have bad dreams?" Nova asked as Punk opened his eyes back up and turned to look at her.

"Sometimes, yeah. We all have bad dreams." Punk nodded, "You're not the only one." He assured her.

"Do you get scared of them?" She asked him.

"Yeah, I do." Punk nodded, "But mommy always calms me down if I wake up scared." He nodded to her.

"She's a good mommy." Nova nodded, patting Ace softly as Punk smiled.

"The best." Punk nodded, closing his eyes over as he began to fall asleep again.

"Daddy, what's the baddest bad dream you've had?" Nova asked curiously as Punk opened his eyes back up.

"Uh… I can't remember. Maybe one about monsters and stuff." Punk shrugged as she gasped, "The most important thing is, you know they're just dreams, and they're not real." He said, reaching his hand over and cupping her cheek, "No one is gonna hurt you. Ever again." He promised. A part of him felt like he'd let her down, and AJ, for the pain they'd been through, but the outcome could have been a hell of a lot worse, and he was just happy his girls were safe. All three of them.

"And no one will hurt Maggie?" Nova made sure as Punk nodded.

"No one will hurt either you." Punk said.

"Good, because I don't want my baby sister to get hurt." Nova shook her head as Punk smiled, shutting his eyes back over in hopes Nova would too, "Daddy, is there a night light I can put on?" She asked him as he opened one eye and looked at her, "I don't want to sleep in the dark." She admitted.

"Ok, baby. Turn the light on beside you." Punk nodded as she turned around and switched the bedside lamp on giving off some light in the room.

"That's better." Nova nodded happily, sinking back down into the bed as she hugged into Ace, "Goodnight, daddy." She smiled.

"Goodnight, baby." Punk smiled to her, closing his eyes once he saw her eyes had closed over, falling back to sleep.

"Daddy?" Nova said as Punk opened his eyes slowly, "If we have nightmares can we talk about them?" She asked him as Punk looked across at her.

"Of course. You can always talk about anything with me, sweetheart." Punk nodded.

"Cause' mommy said I always need to talk about how I'm feeling." Nova said as Punk nodded.

"Mommy's right, it's important you talk to us about anything on your mind." He said, "I tell you what, whenever I have a nightmare, I'll come talk to you about it, and whenever you have a nightmare, you can come talk to me about it." He said as she smiled, "Deal?" He asked.

"Yeah." Nova smiled, "We can be nightmare buddies!" She yelled happily as Punk smiled

"Nightmare buddies." Punk nodded, "But you don't have to be scared of your nightmares, because they aren't real, ok? That man isn't coming back to hurt you." He said as Nova nodded.

"Ok, daddy. I believe you." Nova nodded.

"Ok." Punk smiled, "It's getting really late now so… close your eyes, yeah?" Punk smiled as she nodded, shutting her eyes over and curling into Ace as Punk watched her, smiling as he eventually watched her fall back asleep, for real this time, her casted arm resting on Ace. His nightmare buddy.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	47. Snapped

**Snapped**

* * *

The next morning, AJ woke up to the sound of Maggie crying in her bassinet. She immediately shot up, hurting herself in the process as she eventually realised everything was ok and they were in the hospital. Safe.

She slowly got out of bed, moving her legs round the side to dangle off the edge as she reached over into the bassinet, lifting Maggie up carefully into her arms, still feeling on the weaker side, but better.

"Hi, baby." AJ smiled, cradling Maggie in her arms whilst sitting on the edge of the bed, "Good morning." She smiled, looking down at Maggie who stopped crying, making soft noises whilst looking up at AJ, "Are you hungry?" She smiled, stroking her caramel cheek with her finger.

Both Nova and Maggie looked like her. There were barely any traits of Punk in them. She assumed since Nova had already developed Punk's attitude, and had done even when he was gone, that they'd end up with his personality, which perhaps was a good thing, but perhaps a bad thing too.

"Will we go look out the window, baby?" AJ said, slowly stepping down onto the ground, not sure if she was all that stable to get out of bed and walk, but doing it anyway as she slowly took one step at a time to walk round the bed and over to the window.

Abigail and Harrison hadn't physically hurt her in any way, but have given birth in such an uncomfortable state, losing so much blood, getting the infection, and not having any epidural or gas and air to help her was still a pain she felt. Not to mention she'd been in bed for two days and not really moved. It was normal for her to be stiff and sore.

"Oh, it's bright over here." AJ spoke to Maggie as she slowly walked to the window, looking out of it with a smile. It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue and the sun was out, even though the air was still bitter, "The birdies are all awake." AJ smiled, looking at the row of birds on the roof across.

"April." Her doctor said as she walked into the room as AJ turned around, "You shouldn't be out of bed." She said. Her doctor had been great. Doctor Clarke. As assumed, AJ knew she'd find it hard to trust another doctor again, and it was quite the scandal for all the staff at the hospital to find out what Harrison was up to behind closed doors.

"She was crying and I just wanted to walk a little." AJ defended, walking back over to the bed slowly.

"I heard her. Quite the set of lungs she has." Doctor Clarke smiled, "One of the nurses is just making up her bottle." She said, "Meanwhile, I want you back in bed. You could faint." She said nervously.

"I don't faint." AJ said.

"April, you're human. Not a machine." Doctor Clarke smiled, "I know you're eager but give it a few days." She insisted as AJ nodded. She was the doctor after all.

"I was just showing Maggie the birds." AJ said, not liking getting into trouble. She never did.

"Well there is plenty of time to show Maggie the birds. Back into bed." Clarke smiled as AJ nodded, passing Maggie to her as she began to get back into bed, "Just because we took your IV out and your oxygen doesn't mean you start doing laps of the bed." She insisted as AJ pulled the sheets back over her.

"I think you're being a little dramatic, doctor." AJ said as Clarke just smiled, placing Maggie back in AJ's arms.

"How are you feeling?" Doctor Clarke asked, in a little more serious tone.

"I'm ok." AJ nodded, "I'm feeling better. I think the antibiotics are really kicking in." She admitted. She already felt an improvement in her pain and didn't feel as drowsy and tired. She hadn't really considered how much blood she really had lost.

"That's good." Doctor Clarke smiled, "They really should be working now." She nodded, "How are you feeling mentally?" She asked her as AJ nodded.

"As good as I can be. I mean, how are you supposed to feel when you were kidnapped, forced into giving birth and have your baby taken from you by psychopaths?" AJ shrugged, "I think I'm holding up pretty well." She nodded as Doctor Clarke frowned.

"You're a remarkable young woman." The doctor nodded, "I saw your husband come in with your other daughter last night. She's gorgeous." She said as AJ smiled.

"Thank you." AJ smiled, "That's Nova. She was extremely eager to meet her sister last night." AJ nodded, pausing as she realised she had totally bypassed the husband comment and realised… she hadn't even noticed, and she didn't want to correct the doctor. She liked the way it sounded.

"Well I'm sure she can't wait to have you home with the baby." Doctor Clarke smiled, "Did you experience any post-partum depression when you had Nova?" She asked, "I have your records here and… it seems everything was fine." She nodded.

"Yeah, I was good." AJ nodded, "I kept on top of my meds. I had a routine. I didn't feel isolated or drained." She said.

"Good." The doctor smiled, "Well I'm sure it'll be no different this time around." She nodded as AJ smiled, watching as a nurse came through the door with the made-up bottle for Maggie.

The nurse passed the bottle to Doctor Clarke who then passed it to AJ who was ready to feed her daughter. It was like time stood still when she looked down at her. She was an angel, and a little blessing.

"She's hungry." Doctor Clarke noticed as she saw Maggie latch onto the bottle right away, "A lot of babies take time to take their first few feeds." She admitted.

"Well, not my baby." AJ smiled as she watched Maggie guzzle at the bottle.

"How is everything going with… the police." Clarke asked as she sat down on the arm chair beside the bed as AJ turned to her, "It's… totally none of my business, but… well I knew Doctor Harrison and I'm just… I'm shocked to know what he'd been doing." She admitted as AJ nodded slowly.

"All I know is they have the woman and her brother in custody." AJ said, "That's it."

"You can't let them get to you, you know that, right?" She said.

"It's a lot easier said than done." AJ said, only giving Maggie some of her bottle, sitting the rest on the stand beside her as she then placed Maggie into her chest to wind her, rubbing her back softly as the baby girl rested into her shoulder, "I can't forget what they did." AJ looked at her doctor, "Never."

"It's such an awful thing." Doctor Clarke sighed, "You must have been so brave." She shook her head.

"I was terrified." AJ said, "They just took me in the middle of the night. And they'd planning it for as long as I'd been pregnant. That's the scary part. They'd been watching me. I trusted Doctor Harrison and all this time he was planning to… take my baby from me?" AJ shook her head, "It's messed up."

"It is." Doctor Clarke nodded, "But it's all over. And I know it's still with you but… you have to think positively. Think about your family. How you overcame all of this." She smiled, "When Maggie is older and you tell her all about it, she'll know what an amazing mom and dad she has." She nodded, standing up from the armchair as AJ smiled, "I'll be around later to check in." She said as AJ smiled, watching her leave the room just as Dean and Renee walked through.

"Hey." Dean smiled in a whisper.

"It's ok, she's awake." AJ smiled to them both, watching as they crept into the room. Renee was dressed formally in a black dress and suit jacket, whilst Dean was in his officer uniform.

"We thought we'd pop in to say hi on our way to work." Renee smiled, "I wanted to meet the baby." She said, creeping over to AJ's bed to look over at Maggie, "Oh, look at her." Renee gasped, "She's beautiful." Renee nodded as Dean smiled beside her.

"She's just having her bottle." AJ smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Dean asked her, "You look better."

"I feel a little better, yeah." AJ nodded, "You guys didn't have to come see me." She insisted.

"Well Renee wanted to come since she hadn't been in yet." Dean said as Renee nodded.

"April, I'm so sorry what happened." Renee sighed as AJ just nodded, "I will… I will do anything for you and Phil when it comes to court trials and getting you both justice for all of this." Renee nodded as AJ gulped, having forgotten that she had to face all of that, "I will… happily represent you." She said, turning to Dean who nodded.

"She's a good lawyer." Dean winked to AJ who forced a laugh, her mind spinning a little.

"Can I... Can I hold her?" Renee asked nervously as AJ nodded.

"Uh… yeah. Yeah." AJ smiled, allowing Renee to scoop Maggie up into her arms, "She's just had some of her bottle so she might spit up and I'm nervous for you with that black jacket." She admitted.

"Oh, it'll wash if it happens." Renee smiled, looking down at Maggie, "She looks just like you." Renee nodded to AJ who smiled.

"Yeah, your kids are one hundred percent you." Dean added, "Sure you're not making them on your own? I don't think Phil is taking much part in it." He chuckled as AJ laughed lightly.

"I have the stronger genes, clearly." AJ smiled smugly and teasingly as Dean nodded.

"It would make sense." Dean said, "Where even is he?"

"He's at home with Nova." AJ said, "I told him to just… carry on like normal. I don't need people by bed side every second of the day. I'm-I'm ok." She nodded to herself more than anyone else.

"He just likes being there." Dean nodded, "Let him fuss over you. I think he has a good reason to after everything." He said as AJ nodded.

"When are you getting out? Do you know yet?" Renee asked whilst still cradling Maggie who had drifted back to sleep.

"A few days I think." AJ nodded, "Although, my doctor just gave me into trouble there for getting out of bed. They're treating me like I'm sick." She shook her head.

"Well, you've been through a lot." Dean said, "Don't be difficult and just let them take care of you." Dean nodded as AJ just rolled her eyes, "Back to work next week then?" He teased as AJ rolled her head back on the pillow.

"The last thing on my mind right now is work, trust me." AJ said.

"Woah." Dean said, "You must have a lot on your mind." He said as AJ nodded. He was trying to keep her smiling, just like Punk would do if he was here, "We really should go, Renee. We don't want to get stuck in that morning traffic." He said as Renee nodded.

"I really don't want to give her back." Renee laughed lightly as AJ looked up at her.

"Please give me her." AJ nodded seriously as Dean's smile faded and Renee looked at AJ wearily, "Please." AJ placed her hands out as Renee quickly passed Maggie back to AJ as she turned to Dean with confusion.

"April." Dean said as AJ caressed Maggie's cheek softly. It was like for a split second, she really thought Renee meant what she said when she said she didn't want to give her back. It was just a saying, to show how much she loved her, but AJ looked disturbed by it.

"Yeah?" AJ looked up at Dean.

"You're ok, right?" Dean nodded.

"Uh huh." AJ smiled, "Thanks for stopping by." AJ nodded to them both, snapping right back out of it as Dean placed his hands in his pockets.

"Right on." Dean nodded to her, placing his hand around Renee's waist, "We'll speak soon, yeah?" He said as AJ nodded with a smile as Dean and Renee both left the room.

Immediately Renee turned to Dean, "What the hell was that?" Renee shook her head.

"She's still shaken up. Big time." Dean nodded, not realising it until now. It was like little things would just flash back into AJ's mind, and she'd act out, like just now where she really thought Renee meant it when she said she didn't want to give Maggie back. Under the circumstances, it made sense for her to be so affected by a comment like that.

"I didn't hurt her, did I?" Renee asked sadly as they walked down the corridor.

"No, of course not. She's not herself." Dean shook his head, "I'm gonna talk to Phil later. Just… talk to him about it." He nodded.

"Yeah, good idea." Renee smiled.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	48. Not Ok Yet

**Not Ok Yet**

* * *

"Ok, jump down." Punk said, helping Nova out of the car, taking her good hand as she jumped down from the back seat onto the ground. He then shut the car door over, parked in the hospital car park as he took out the bag of food he had picked for AJ at the passenger's side.

"Why are you bringing mommy food?" Nova questioned, holding onto Punk's hand as they walked across the car park and into the hospital.

"She doesn't really like hospital food, so I said I'd bring her in some things." Punk explained, "Just things like cookies." He whispered suddenly in the hospital.

"Why are you whispering?" Nova whispered back as Punk looked down at her and shook his head.

"No reason." He said, becoming a little louder now, "You excited to see Maggie?" Punk asked her.

"Yeah!" Nova exclaimed excitedly, "I wanna know if she had a nice sleep." She said, getting into the elevator with Punk to take up to the floor AJ was on.

"I'm sure she had a great sleep." Punk nodded, "Here. You can give mommy her food if you like." He said, handing her the bag as Nova took it from him.

They had slept past any time Punk thought. He thought they'd be up early, perhaps 8am, but they'd both slept longer. He got up and got showered and then bathed Nova, eating breakfast on the way here, or more so lunch since it was creeping into the afternoon.

"I'll tell mommy about my nightmare I had." Nova said as the elevator stopped and Punk looked down at her.

"Uh… no, don't tell her." Punk shook his head as Nova looked up at him, "I thought we were nightmare buddies?" Punk shook his head, "That means it's gotta stay between us." He said as Nova looked unsure.

"Uh I don't know." She shrugged dramatically, "Mommy always says I've to tell her about any nightmares." She looked up at him as Punk nodded.

He felt bad for asking her not to say anything, but he really didn't want AJ to worry about her. It was potential that Nova had her nightmare because of how traumatised she still was from the events that had taken place, and that broke his heart, but he knew it would worry AJ. But he also knew it was wrong to ask Nova not to say anything. That wasn't fair on her.

"Yeah, you're right." Punk nodded to her, "You can tell her." He brushed his hand down the back of her head as she nodded.

They got to AJ's room, walking on in as AJ was nowhere to be found and Maggie was lying in her bassinet.

"Where is she?" Nova looked up at her father as Punk began to panic.

"Wait… wait here." Punk said, walking back out into the corridor and grabbing the first nurse he got his hands on, "Hey, my girlfriend was in that room with the baby and she's not there but the baby is." Punk panicked, "Has she been moved? What-What's going on?" He asked frantically.

"Ok, sir. Calm down." The nurse nodded, "Which room is it?" She asked softly as Punk led her to the room, walking on in just as he heard the toilet flushing from the toilet in the room.

Punk gulped as the nurse turned to him.

"April, is everything alright?" The nurse asked.

"Yeah. There's still some blood-" She paused walking out of the toilet as she saw Punk and Nova standing, "Oh. Hey." AJ shook her head.

"She's ok." The nurse nodded to Punk with a small smile, "That's normal, April." She nodded over to AJ, leaving the room and shutting the door over.

"Blood?" Nova shook her head, "Why is there blood did you hurt yourself, mommy?" Nova approached her mother who was slowly walking back to bed. The five-year-old placed her hand at her mother's back, as if guiding her back to bed. Punk smiled.

"I uh… I just cut my finger, baby." AJ nodded, slowly getting back into bed, "But how you are, my little munchkin?" She smiled at Nova.

"I'm fine." Nova smiled chirpily, "Me and daddy brought you some food." She said, climbing onto the bed beside AJ whilst Punk walked over and sat on the chair.

Nova began to unpack all of the food whilst Punk got the chance to say hello to his girlfriend. He felt stupid for panicking like that, but he guessed they were all having their own struggles when it came to what had happened.

"How are you?" Punk asked AJ after leaning over and giving her a soft kiss.

"I'm ok." AJ nodded as he sat down on the arm chair, "Still tired but I feel better than yesterday." She said, "How are you? Did you get a good sleep?" She asked him.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "Yeah we slept later than I thought." Punk admitted.

"Good. I'm glad to hear." AJ smiled, looking on at all the food Nova was unpacking on her lap whilst Punk took his jacket off and scooped up Maggie to say hello to his daughter, "I better hide all of this under the bed or my doctor will take it from me." AJ laughed a little.

"So there is cookies and chips and gummy bears and… I don't know what that is." Nova shook her head, continuing to name all the candy and food that they had brought for her.

"Well thank you." AJ smiled, "I really need all of this." AJ told her as Nova began packing it all back in the bag.

"Has she been fed?" Punk asked, cradling Maggie in his arms who was sleeping.

"Yeah, but she's due another feed soon. You could stay and… feed her if you like." AJ smiled as Punk nodded. She was missing him and couldn't wait to get home with Maggie where she didn't feel like an invalid.

"Let me see. Let me see." Nova said, jumping off the bed, placing the bag of food down by AJ's bed and walking over to her father who held Maggie in his arms, "Does she always sleep?" Nova huffed a little.

"They do a lot of sleeping." Punk nodded as Nova sighed.

"I want her to wake up." Nova said, touching the baby's head softly. She knew she had to be very gentle with the baby.

"She'll wake soon, baby. You can watch her have her bottle." AJ smiled, "She's a hungry one with her bottle." AJ nodded.

"Yeah?" Punk smiled up at her as AJ nodded.

"Yeah but then she spit most of it back up." AJ shrugged.

"The joys." Punk smiled, looking down at Maggie lovingly. She was a gorgeous baby, and he and AJ could both agree on the fact she was a little blessing to them, a blessing that she was here with them.

"So how did you sleep, baby?" AJ asked Nova who was hovering over by her father to watch the baby.

"Uh I had a nightmare, mommy. And I slept beside daddy." She told her.

"A nightmare?" AJ frowned.

"Yeah, the bad man came to hurt me again but it's ok because daddy says he won't ever come back and that my nightmares aren't real. We're nightmare buddies now." Nova smiled as AJ just nodded, not really taking much of what she said in besides the fact she was dreaming about the man who had come into her room and broke her arm. She didn't want her baby to be affected by this like that and she was sad to know she was still frightened.

"April." Punk said as AJ shook her head, coming out of her trance, "She's ok." Punk nodded to her, "Right, kid?" Punk turned to Nova.

"Yeah, I'm ok, mommy. Don't be sad." Nova said, wandering back over to her mother's bed, "Daddy said that when he has nightmares he's gonna talk to me about it and when I have nightmares I've to talk to him." Nova said as AJ just nodded with a small smile.

"That's… That's a good idea." AJ smiled to her as Nova nodded, jumping a little when she heard her sister cry for the first time, turning around with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, she's so loud." Nova sighed, placing one hand on one ear, not being able to do it with the other because of her cast.

"She's hungry." Punk said as Nova walked back over to him, looking over at Maggie who was crying for her next feed.

"Maggie, don't cry." Nova shook her head, patting her sister's cheek softly, but of course Maggie continued to cry, "Woah, she must be really hungry." Nova said, "She's so loud." She gasped as Punk chuckled, looking over at AJ who seemed to have shut off from the, lying with her head against the pillow in her own little world.

"Ape." Punk said softly, but she didn't respond. He knew she wasn't ignoring him, she'd just shut them out and was thinking of other things, no doubt Nova having her nightmares. She knew that would upset her.

Eventually a nurse came in with a bottle for Punk to feed Maggie with, and Nova didn't leave his side as she watched Maggie take her bottle hungrily.

"Look at her." Nova giggled with fascination as Punk smiled, "Is she happy now?" Nova asked her father.

"Yeah, I'd say so." Punk smiled. He felt comfortable with Maggie in his arms. It wasn't a feeling he'd never felt before, but it still felt as magical as it did when Nova was a baby.

He looked over at AJ, hoping that she had just needed a few minutes to herself, but she still seemed completely zoned out.

"April." Punk said as AJ turned to him, "She is a hungry one, you're right." Punk smiled to her as AJ just nodded.

Punk turned to Nova, not wanting to have the conversation in front of her, "Nova, baby why don't you go over to the table there and colour in more pictures?" Punk said.

"Oh, but I wanna watch Maggie." Nova huffed.

"You can come back over and help me change her diaper when she's finished." Punk said.

"Uh, I don't wanna change her diaper, daddy." Nova said with disgust as Punk laughed.

"Oh, so you just wanna do the easy stuff?" Punk asked her as Nova nodded, "Ok, but daddy wants to talk to mommy, so… please can you go get your books? Why don't you draw mommy a nice picture?" He said.

"Ok, fine." Nova nodded, rushing off to the table in the corner where some books were sitting whilst Punk shuffled his chair forward to AJ's bed, continuing to feed Maggie as AJ watched him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Punk asked her, "What is it?"

"She's having nightmares?" AJ asked sadly with tears welling in her eyes.

"It was just the one and… and she was ok after it. Look at her, she's fine." Punk said quietly as AJ turned over to Nova who was drawing a picture.

"I can… I can take whatever it is I have to, but… she's so small." AJ shook her head, "She can't be affected by this." She said.

"We all are a little." Punk nodded, "It's gonna take time for all of us to get over what happened. The most important thing is we have each other." Punk said, "We have our girls." He nodded, "Things will get easier when you and Maggie come home."

"Will it?" AJ said.

"Yes, it will." Punk nodded, "What happened is… devastating, for you more than anyone else, and whatever it takes, if it's therapy or giving you your own space or finding something to do that calms you down, then we'll do it and I'll help you through it. Same way, if Nova has more nightmares, we'll be strong and we'll help her." Punk said as AJ sniffled, "Please don't be upset." He sighed. He didn't want to see her like this, it was heart-breaking.

"I'm just scared I won't be able to get over it." AJ sighed, "And I won't be able to move on and be a good mom." She cried as Punk shook his head.

"You will." Punk nodded, "You're the best mom." He said, "It's just going to take some time, that's all. No one is expecting you to just snap back into where we left off." He said as AJ nodded, "It's just gonna take some time, baby. That's all." He sighed as AJ nodded.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind in here." She whispered to him as he nodded.

"You'll be out soon." Punk said, "And I'll be here by your side until you get out. Me, Nova and Maggie." He nodded as she forced a soft smile.

"Thank you." She smiled tearfully as Punk nodded. He would have hugged her but he had Maggie in his arms whom he was feeding, so instead he called his sidekick over.

"Nova, come tell mommy how excited we are for her and Maggie to come home." Punk nodded as Nova dropped her pencils and rushed over to her mother's bed at the other side.

"We're so excited." Nova smiled, bouncing up and down beside AJ's bed as AJ smiled. She couldn't not smile, "I wanna throw a party for you." Nova grinned, climbing up onto the bed beside AJ who smiled.

"Please don't." AJ laughed a little, "I think coming home, just the four of us is enough."

"Five." Nova corrected her, "Ace." She counted as AJ nodded.

"How is Ace?" AJ smiled softly.

"He's fine." Punk nodded, "Missing you." He said as AJ smiled.

"We all miss you, mommy." Nova said, resting in against AJ who wrapped her arms around Nova. The hug she desperately needed as Punk smiled, placing Maggie's bottle over on the night stand as he placed her into his chest to start winding her.

He could see AJ gripping onto Nova, and he knew she was far from ok. But he was here. And he wasn't leaving. Not ever.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! AJ gets home soon, Bray and Abigail will appear again soon, Dean and Punk talk and more all coming up! REVIEW and let me know what you think!**


	49. Haunting

**Haunting**

* * *

"Hey, man what are you doing here?" Dean asked as he notice Punk walk into the station, stopping him in his tracks.

"I just wanted to come by and see what was going on." Punk said as Dean nodded, "April fell asleep at the hospital so me and Nova left her. I think she done too much today." He admitted, "Nova went to my dad's for dinner so I thought I'd come here for an hour or so." Punk nodded.

"Right on." Dean nodded, "How is Maggie?" He smiled as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, she's good. Probably the best out of all four of us." Punk admitted truthfully as Dean smiled.

"Can we go to your office and talk for a minute?" Dean asked as Punk looked at him wearily, "Everything is fine, I just… I just wanna talk." Dean nodded as Punk looked across at him.

"Ok, sure." Punk nodded, leading the way as they walked to his office. He was a little nervous for what Dean had to say. Dean was his longest friend here, having met him when he was just sixteen in the academy. He didn't cherish his other friends any less, but he always knew Dean would be there for him, he'd been there since the very beginning.

"It's nothing to worry about." Dean said as he walked into Punk's office after him, closing the door over.

"What is it?" Punk shook his head.

"I'm worried about AJ." Dean said as Punk nodded.

"I think we all are." Punk said truthfully.

"No, I mean. I'm really worried." Dean said, "Me and Renee visited her this morning. Renee wanted to stop by since she hadn't visited yet. She had a hold of Maggie and when she passed her back to AJ she made a light-hearted comment, something like… I don't wanna give her back or something." Dean waved his hand as Punk folded his arms and listened closely, "AJ just snapped. She had this look in her eyes and she told Renee to give her Maggie back. Started begging her." Dean nodded, "And then she acted like nothing happened two seconds later." Dean said.

"Dean." Punk said slowly, looking down at the ground.

"What?" Dean shook his head.

"Do you know what they did to her?" Punk looked up at him, "Do you know what she looked like when I found her?" He said as Dean gulped, "They tied her to a bed, made her give birth, took Maggie from her right away when she couldn't do anything to stop it, and left her to bleed out to the point where she needed three blood transfusions." Punk said, "So I'm sorry if she's a little off. Don't you think I know? Don't you think I'm worried about her too?" He asked.

"Hey, man. I'm just concerned." Dean defended, "I know what she went through is… unimaginable, I just wanted you to know what happened in case it happened again." He said, "Maybe you could talk to her about it."

"Why did Renee say something so stupid anyway." Punk shook his head, "She knows what's just happened."

"Hey, she didn't think, ok? And none of us thought AJ would react like that." Dean said, "Man, I don't wanna fight with you, why are you being so aggressive with me here?" Dean shook his head.

"I'm not being aggressive." Punk shook his head as Dean raised his eyebrows.

"No, you are." Dean told him, "I get you're under a lot of pressure, but don't push your friends away." He shook his head.

"I don't even know what to say to her anymore." Punk shook his head, "I can't keep telling her it'll take time. That's not what she wants to hear." Punk said.

"What does she want to hear?" Dean asked.

"I don't know." Punk shook his head, "It's like she just wants it all to go away and I can't… I can't do that for her. I can't make it all go away." Punk sighed, sitting on his desk as Dean sighed.

"Maybe not but you're here for her. She knows that. And I'm sure Nova is keeping her smiling. And Maggie." Dean nodded, "You're gonna come across some bumps, obviously. But you'll do it together. Just like you've done from day one." He said.

"She feels like she's losing her mind in the hospital." Punk said, " I'm hoping once she gets out things might be a little better for her. You know, once she's home." Punk said as Dean nodded.

"They're bound to be." Dean nodded, "Being in hospital is just reminding her of what happened and why she's there. Once she's home, it should be a little easier for her. You know what difference it makes when you're in your own bed." He said Punk nodded.

"Yeah, I know trust me." Punk said, "Sorry for losing my head there." He said in a mumble as Dean just nodded, "Tell Renee not to worry either, it's nothing she said or did… AJ just isn't herself. But she will be." Punk nodded, trying to stay positive.

"She will." Dean agreed, "I wasn't trying to put her or you down by telling you, I just wanted you to know incase she does it again, and you can reassure her." Dean nodded.

"Yeah, I know. Thank you." Punk nodded. He didn't mean to lose his head, and he wasn't trying to push his friends away, he was just not in the right head space, "What's going on with Bray and Abigail?" Punk asked.

"Uh we got a hold on them in custody. Bray still isn't speaking and Abigail actually… asked to talk to you. Well, she asked to talk to the officer who took her baby." Dean shrugged as Punk rolled his eyes, "I didn't bother saying to you. You needed to be with AJ."

"I got time now." Punk nodded, "Get her in a room." He said.

"I don't think that's a great idea." Dean said, "I mean you can lose your temper with Bray and you can smash his head off the table but-"

"I'm not gonna touch her." Punk promised, "If she wants to speak to me, let her speak to me." Punk nodded as Dean watched.

"Ok." Dean nodded as they both left the room, getting Abigail in from the cells and into a room as Punk watched her get escorted by three officers, two at either side and one behind.

"I can come in with you." Dean said, standing outside the room with Punk who shook his head.

"I'll be fine. Trust me." Punk patted him on the shoulder, walking on into the bright room and closing the door shut behind him.

"I want eyes on the cameras at all times." Dean said to the cops on watch of the room through the cameras, "If he moves, get in there." He said as they nodded.

Punk walked over to the table where Abigail sat, pulling out the chair as it loudly scraped across the floor, slowly sitting down across from her and placing his hands on the table.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Punk looked across at her as she looked up at him. Punk didn't see a troubled woman. He saw an evil woman who knew exactly what she had done, or what she had tried to do, and now that she had been caught, she was playing the insane act.

"Where did you take my baby?" Abigail asked him calmly, clasping her cuffed hands and looking across at him as he stared back at her.

"She is not your baby." Punk said, "And she never was, and never ever will be. Do you understand that?" Punk said, "You took her, and honestly, you chose the wrong people." Punk said, "Not to mention the three girls you savagely murdered for absolutely no reason." He said as Abigail blinked her eyes multiple times, as if having some sort of twitch when she was angry or nervous, he couldn't tell.

"It was my baby. I had her first." Abigail said, "I was going to raise her. Me and my husband, and my brother." She said, "I had her nursery all set up. I had outfits. I was beginning to save for her first Christmas." She smiled to herself, "And then you stole her from me."

"No you stole her from her mother. Her real mother." Punk spat, "You kidnapped her in the middle of the night, kept her hostage and then made her give birth to _her_ baby." Punk said, "Don't you see the wrong in all of this?"

"No." Abigail said quietly, "I saw a future with my daughter. And she was going to be just like me." She smiled to herself, "She would have been loved so much. She's called Sarah, in case you're wondering."

"No, she's not." Punk spat, "Her name is not Sarah and you are not her mother. You stole her. You're going to prison for this, isn't that occurring to you that what you did was wrong. You're never gonna be out of prison. You'll die in there." Punk emphasised.

"The world is no place for me without my daughter." Abigail said, "We were going to be best friends. I was going to tell her all about her brother. Nathanial." She smiled as Punk opened up the folder in front of him and nodding at what he thought she was talking about.

"You lost your son." Punk said, "He was still born?" He asked as Abigail just stared across at him, "Ok, but that didn't mean you kill three innocent girls and then kidnap a pregnant woman and eventually a baby that… wasn't yours." Punk said, "You realise that, right?" He said as Abigail looked across at him.

"I realise that I should have stayed in the car at the gas station. And drove off as soon as the cops came." She said, "We could have gone somewhere happy. Somewhere with trees and forests." She smiled, "Somewhere no one would ever find us."

"And you'd be ok with that? Taking someone else's baby? Knowing they were suffering?"

"I suffered!" Abigail yelled in a screech as Punk jumped a little, "I done my suffering, and I finally got what I wanted and you… you took her from me. You took my baby and you will pay for it." She warned.

"No. No I won't. You'll pay for what you did. You and your brother." Punk said, "You'll go to prison. And everyone there will know what you did. And you'll die there, lonely, and cold, and beaten up." He said as Abigail looked furiously at him, "And I'll be at home with my daughter and my girlfriend."

"Your daughter?" Abigail looked across at him, "You're the father of my baby?" She asked him.

"She's not your baby. She is mine and my girlfriend's." Punk said, "My girlfriend who you took and tied to a bed and forced her to give birth." Punk spat as Abigail nodded.

"She was in so much pain." Abigail said with a sadistic smile as Punk's hands clenched, "She was in agony actually. I found it to be… arousing." She smiled.

"You are fucking sick." Punk spat, "And you cannot be unaware of how sick you are." Punk said. He'd sat in these rooms and looked on at the face of evil many times, but this was a whole other level. This woman knew exactly what she had done. She knew it.

"I never knew you were my baby's father." Abigail said.

"Do you truly believe that you are a mother? Or do you know you took someone else's baby and tried to pass it off as your own? Because I think you know. I think you know exactly what you've done and you're playing the sadistic, crazy act so you can avoid a normal prison." He said, "You know that baby isn't yours."

"It is." Abigail spat, "She is mine. She is just like me."

"No. She isn't." Punk spat, "Do you have any idea how much pain you've caused? Do you know your brother broke my other daughter's arm? Do you know my girlfriend is sitting in hospital right now, going out of her mind because she thinks you're coming back to take _her_ baby?" Punk said, "Are you aware of the damage you've done?"

"I'm aware that my baby isn't with who she's suppose do to be with." Abigail said, "She'll only ever be safe with me. You don't know how to look after her. She needs her mother." Abigail hissed across at him.

"She has her mother." Punk said, "And it's not you." Punk nodded.

"She would have been so safe with me." Abigail said, "And you took her!" She stood up, banging her cuffed hands against the desk as the door immediately flew open with officers, "You took my baby from me!" Abigail squealed like a banshee, immediately going for Punk, as if about to strangle him with the chain of her handcuffs when the officers immediately grabbed her kicking and screaming, "You took her from me!" She yelled as she was pulled out the door whilst Punk sat calmly at the desk, running his hand through his hair and shaking his head.

He eventually got up and left the room where Dean was waiting outside.

"What'd she say?" Dean asked.

"Just a bunch of bullshit really." Punk said, "She still thinks it's her baby. She thinks it's her baby but she's allowing herself to know that I'm the dad. It's like she's totally blocked April out." Punk shook his head.

"Well if she's insane, like she probably is, then she'll just have it programmed in that she's the mother. She'll have blocked AJ out a long time ago." Dean nodded as Punk sighed, "Did she say anything useful?" He asked.

"Nah." Punk shook his head, "I think she's playing a game. I think she's playing the psychotic card to avoid prison. Or… a normal prison anyway." Punk said, "I can see it in her eyes. She's aware of what she's done."

"Is she, though?" Dean asked, "I mean, think of what she done. She couldn't have been sane to do all of that." He said as Punk just shook his head.

"I don't know." Punk sighed, "I wanna talk to her again. And Bray. They could be hiding other things." He shrugged as his phone began to vibrate in his pocket.

He took it out, "It's my dad." Punk told Dean who nodded, walking off to answer the phone, "Hey, what's up dad?" Punk asked, "What do you mean?" He said, "What?" He shook his head as Dean watched from afar, "Ok, I'll be there soon." He nodded, hanging up and putting his phone back in his pocket.

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"Nova." Punk said, "My dad said she didn't want to eat her dinner and then she just had this temper tantrum. Took the dinner and smashed it on the floor." Punk shook his head, "She's not like that." He said, beginning to walk through the station with Dean.

"Maybe she's just tired." Dean shrugged.

"No, she gets all quiet and shy when she's tired." Punk said, "Look, I gotta go. Just keep doing what you're doing, and keep Bray and Abigail in custody." He said as Dean nodded, watching Punk rush out of the station.

* * *

Punk drove to his dad's house where Nova was supposed to be having dinner, walking on in without knocking as he walked through to the living room where Nova was sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Hey." Punk looked down at her as she folded her arms.

"Grandpa Dan gave me into trouble and I don't wanna talk to him." Nova shook her head.

"Ok, stay here." Punk told her, walking through into the kitchen where his dad was picking up the pieces of smashed plate from the floor, "Uh hi… what the hell is going on?" Punk said.

"Oh, Phil. She just lost it." Dan said, "I made her favourite. Sausage and beans. She kept saying she wasn't hungry so I told her to just eat what she felt like, but she just kept telling me she wasn't hungry, next thing I know she just knocked the plate over onto the floor and it… smashed everywhere." He said as Punk looked at the food all over the floor and the pieces of smashed plate.

"Well did you say anything to upset her? She said you gave her into trouble." Punk said.

"Yeah, after. I told her she shouldn't have smashed the plate." Dan said, "Now she won't talk to me. She just… snapped." He said as Punk shook his head, walking back into the living room where Nova sat quietly.

"Nova." Punk said in a tone that she sensed wasn't good, "Hey." Punk said as he crouched down in front of her, "Why'd you freak out on grandpa like that? He made you your favourite dinner." Punk said.

"I wasn't hungry!" She yelled.

"Ok, don't shout at me." Punk warned her, "Calm down. I'm not… I'm not giving you into trouble." He said as he saw her lip quiver, "Hey, what is it, baby?" Punk sighed, sitting up beside her and cuddling her into his side.

"I thought the bad man was coming." Nova cried as Punk stiffened.

"Why?" Punk asked her.

"When I close my eyes, I see his face." She cried into his side as Punk sighed, all the while Dan stood at the door watching with a sigh.

"Baby, what did I say to you last night? He's not coming back to hurt you." Punk promised her, looking down at her as she looked up.

"But I keep seeing him." Nova cried, "And I got scared and I didn't want to eat because I was scared and then Grandpa gave me into trouble for knocking my plate over but I only done it because I didn't want to eat and the man was scary." Nova said as the words rolled off her tongue, Punk could barely keep up. But it didn't take a genius to see how much distress she was in.

"Aw, sweetheart. It's ok." Punk sighed, lifting her onto his lap and cuddling her tightly, "Don't cry, it'll be all ok." He said, patting the back of her head with his hand as she cried. It took a lot for her to cry, and she was really crying. It broke his heart. He felt like his family was falling apart.

* * *

 **A/N: Poor Nova! More coming soon. Let me know what you think!**


	50. Just Getting By

**Just Getting By**

* * *

"It seems to me like Nova is suffering from PTSD." A doctor sat across from Punk whilst Nova waited outside with Dan who had accompanied him to the doctors.

A week had passed by and Nova was struggling. She didn't sleep, sometimes she refused to eat, other times she'd just freak out randomly, and not to mention she'd been sent home from school for vomiting all over her desk when a man with a beard walked into the class, even though he was only the school's new janitor.

"PTSD?" Punk said, "She's five." He shook his head the doctor nodded.

"PTSD can occur in children too." The doctor nodded, "What Nova has been through, it's incredibly traumatic for a little girl her age. Even when she thinks it's not on her mind, it's still going to be there somewhere waiting to pop back up." The doctor said, "The having trouble sleeping, not eating, being sick… it's all symptoms that can occur in child PTSD." The doctor said as Punk sighed, running both his hands through his hair.

"Ok. So what do we do then?" Punk sighed, sitting back up straight.

"Well there are a number of things you and her mother can do at home to relieve any sort of discomfort or stress she has." The doctor said, "Just assuring her is a big positive. It might be useful to have her take up a new hobby or a sport, something that takes her mind off of things."

"She's got a broken arm." Punk shook his head.

"I know, that might be a little difficult for her." The doctor nodded sympathetically, "Things like making cookies, or drawing, or watching movies are ways of distracting her. Routine is also essential." He said.

"It's been a little hard to stick to a routine with everything that's going on." Punk admitted truthfully.

"It's understandable." The doctor nodded, "I would like to recommend play therapy for Nova." He said, "From talking to her and examining her just now, I can tell she's a very creative child." He said as Punk nodded casually, "I think play therapy would help her cope with any stress she's in."

"How can… How can she be stressed… she's five years old?" Punk sighed, not understanding or more so not wanting to understand that his child had PTSD.

"She can be stressed exactly like you or I can be stressed." The doctor told him, "But actually, it's easier to treat children, which is a good thing here." He said as Punk just sighed.

"So what's this… what's this play therapy then? What does it do?" Punk asked. He was hesitant towards any sort of therapy for his daughter. He felt it would just overwhelm her, but maybe she needed it. He was willing to try anything to help her, he knew AJ would be too.

"Well it's exactly how it sounds. She'll meet with a therapist once a week for around forty-five minutes to an hour. That therapist will be able to tell what's causing Nova to be so frightened just by how she plays with toys." The doctor said as Punk nodded, "And she or he, whoever the therapist is, will be able to help Nova accept what happened, so that it's part of the past, but it's not there to haunt her or scare her. I've saw it work many times on children Nova's age who have been through situations like she has, some even worse situations." He said.

"I get to be in the room, right?" Punk made sure.

"Of course. You or whoever is taking her can be in the room. You might even take part some times." The doctor said, "I think it could really help Nova in the long run. But like I said, there are things you can do at home like keep a routine, participate with her in different hobbies she has, she said you have a family pet?" He said as Punk nodded, "Walks with the dog, out in the fresh air will help her." He said as Punk nodded, "And if she still has trouble sleeping, there are different oils and vaporizers that you can use on her pillow before she goes to bed. They'll help her sleep better." He said as Punk nodded, trying to take this in.

"And if all of that doesn't work?" Punk asked.

"Let's just take it one step at a time." The doctor nodded, "As adults we just expect them to forget about things, nightmares, day-dreams that they have because they're so young, but something as traumatic as Nova has experienced needs treatment, and it's not a bad thing to admit that." He said, "It's better you address the problem and do something about it."

"Well I'm not having her suffer anymore." Punk shook his head, "How do we go about with getting her into this therapy then?" Punk asked.

"Well I have a card of a local therapist I know who specialises in dealing with kids and play therapy." He said as he pulled out his drawer and whipped out the card with the number on it, "All you have to do is call in advance and make an appointment." He said, handing the card over as Punk nodded.

"Her mom is bipolar." Punk said, "Could she be more… sensitive to having PTSD because of that?" Punk wondered.

"Well they're two completely different disorders, so it really has nothing to do with that." The doctor said as Punk nodded.

"I was just checking." Punk said, "Ok, well… thank you for seeing her and thank you for this." Punk nodded, standing up as the doctor stood too.

"It was my pleasure." He said, extending his hand as Punk shook it gratefully and left the office to find Nova sitting with his father quietly.

"Hi, daddy." Nova smiled as she noticed her father reappear, "Are we going home now? I miss Maggie." She huffed tiredly.

"Yeah, baby we're going home." Punk smiled to her. She just hadn't been herself lately. She hadn't lost her Nova spark by any means, but the lack of sleep she was getting, the occasions where she wouldn't want to eat dinner, it was worrying Punk, and he and AJ agreed together to have her see a doctor.

"Well?" Dan said, standing up as they walked out of the doctors whilst Nova held Punk's hand tightly.

"He reckons she has PTSD." Punk said, "Or she's in some sort of distress." He nodded, "He's gave me the number for a child therapist basically."

"Poor thing." Dan sighed as he looked down at Nova walking beside Punk, watching her feet as she watched, "The best thing you could have done was take her here. She'll get whatever help she needs. Just like April will." Dan nodded, "I don't want you carrying all this stress and it ends up you who… loses it." Dan said.

"I'm fine." Punk insisted, "I just want them to get better." Punk said, "That's it." He said.

"They will. Don't you worry." Dan said, patting his son on the back, "They'll be fine." He assured him.

* * *

When Punk got home with Nova, she immediately sprinted to her mother who was sitting on the couch with Maggie in her arms fast asleep. AJ had gotten home a few days ago and like expected, she already felt ten times better once being out of the hospital.

Her infection was cleared up although she did have to have regular check-ups at the hospital for the time being, and her blood pressure had also come down which was great. She just felt a lot comfier I her home comforts, and she was so glad to have Maggie home.

"Hey, she was sleeping when we left." Nova shook her head as she sat down beside AJ on the couch, kicking her shoes off as she looked on at Maggie.

"She likes to sleep, baby." AJ said, "That's all she'll be doing for the next few weeks." AJ told her whilst Punk headed into the kitchen to take his jacket off.

"So when will she start talking to me then?" Nova asked impatiently.

"You've got a while to wait for that." Punk said from the kitchen with a small smile.

"You wanna watch your sister whilst I go talk to daddy?" AJ turned to Nova who smiled and nodded excitedly, "Ok." AJ said, slowly standing up from the couch as she placed Maggie over on her soft mat where she lay either sleeping or sometimes just staring up and around. Nova loved to just sit and watch her carefully. She was a great big sister.

AJ walked off once placing Maggie down, and headed into the kitchen where Punk was standing.

"How did it go?" AJ asked. She was still tired, and drained, and finding it mentally challenging to adapt to chaotic mom life again, but it actually seemed like she was coping better with what happened now more than Nova, which broke her heart. She would have taken all the pain for her daughter if she could.

"Uh well he basically said she has PTSD." Punk nodded as AJ sighed, "He gave me a number to a therapist for her." He said as AJ raised her eyebrows, "Not like an adult therapist. He called it play therapy. I don't know. He said it's good and he seemed like a wise guy so… I'm willing to try it for her." He nodded.

"Yeah, me too." AJ nodded, turning around to look at Nova who was watching the TV, every now and then looking over at Maggie, "She's so young." AJ sighed, turning back around to him as Punk nodded.

"I know. We're doing what we can for her." Punk said, "He also said having her in a routine is important. And there are oils and vaporizers we can get for her to help her sleep." Punk nodded, "He recommended that."

"I was actually looking through a brochure earlier and it was little glow in the dark teddy bears, and they smell like lavender to help kids sleep." AJ said, "I thought it would be good for her." AJ nodded. She didn't feel as mentally challenged in her home as she did in the hospital. She felt a little sturdier on her feet and since being back on her meds again, she was feeling in control a little more. Of course she was still very down about everything that had happened, and she too was suffering from nightmares, but she was better than she ever expected, she and Punk.

"Yeah, that sounds ideal." Punk said, "Look, I think the main thing is we don't make it a big deal. Because she'll start sensing it and I don't want her to feel like there's something wrong with her." He shook his head, "We deal with it now and we do what we can to help her." He said as AJ nodded.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "I agree." She said, they were putting their daughter's health and well-being first before anything else. She and Maggie were their number one priorities and they came before anything else, "Seth called when you were gone. He said Bray and Abigail will be moving soon. Abigail is being assessed by mental health professionals which means it's probably going to be used in court that she's mentally unwell." AJ shrugged as Punk nodded.

"Either way they're both going away forever, no matter where they go." Punk said, "I just can't be bothered dealing with court." He admitted truthfully.

"No, me neither." AJ agreed, "I thought… I thought I wanted to see their faces and… talk to them but… I don't. I really don't." AJ said as Punk nodded, "I just want it all over so we can move on." She sighed.

The hardest part was how present it all still felt to them, like nothing was moving forward. They knew once both Bray and Abigail were both officially imprisoned, they would feel some sort of closure, but there was still a lot of official grounds to cover.

"Yeah, me too." Punk nodded to her, "How have you been today?" He asked her, cupping her cheek softly as she rested in against his hand. Just sleeping next to him in bed again made a huge difference for her than sleeping in a hospital bed herself.

"Ok." AJ nodded, "Maggie let me have a little nap on the couch whilst you were gone with Nova." AJ smiled, "She's a good baby." She nodded.

"Yeah, she is." Punk smiled to himself, "You go sit with the girls and I'll put dinner on." He told her.

"I can help you-"

"No, you can rest." Punk nodded, "Off you go." He ordered playfully as she smiled, squeezing his arm comfortingly as she walked back over to the couch, sitting down next to Nova whilst Maggie slept over on her mat peacefully.

There was a calm around them for sure. Things did seem to be getting better. But there were still struggles they had to face.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	51. I'll Be Fine

**I'll Be Fine**

* * *

"Can you pass me a diaper?" Punk asked AJ from across the nursery as he stood at Maggie's changing table, changing her diaper before putting her down for the night. He would never have admitted to AJ, but he was a little nervous about being a father again, he thought he would be rusty, especially with a new-born, but now that Maggie was here, he felt like the touch had never left him, and both he and AJ were working together as a team, just as they did when Nova was a new-born.

"Here." AJ smiled as she passed him over a fresh diaper whilst folding up some of Maggie's baby grows that had been put in the wash, "Is she ok?" She asked, walking over to the side of the changing table as Maggie wriggled her legs a little, making it difficult for Punk to put the clean diaper on her.

"She's a wriggler." Punk laughed a little, "But yeah, she's just fine." Punk smiled. She was the light in all of this, she made everything that was going on seem ok, and they just felt so glad to have her after what could have happened.

"They really both look like me, don't they?" AJ smiled, looking down at those big brown eyes that looked up at her. She didn't like to brag about how much they looked like her, but they really were her image.

"They are." Punk nodded, "It's like I really had no part of making them." He shook his head as he secured the diaper on Maggie and began putting her into a clean baby grow as AJ watched. He was so good with her, and she remembered him being so good with Nova. She loved to watch him with both the girls.

"You had a part trust me. I remember it all." She smirked to him lightly as he laughed, "You're a good girl." AJ smiled as she tickled her daughter's bare tummy softly. She was still so new, and fresh out the packet as Dan kept saying, but she already had her little quirks.

"She is a good girl." Punk nodded, putting her little arms into the baby grow as he began buttoning it up, "A good girl who lets mommy and daddy sleep." He smiled. It was a big plus that Maggie was sleeping through the night until at least 6am, sometimes 7. That was a complete luxury to them.

Punk scooped her up off the changing table, holding her close to his chest as he walked over to her crib, kissing the side of her head softly before putting her down in the crib gently.

"Do you think Nova is ok?" AJ asked him as he straightened up and looked across at her.

"Yeah, she looked tired tonight." Punk nodded, "She went out like a light." He said.

"Because she's barely sleeping." AJ sighed, rubbing her forehead, "It breaks my heart to know this is affecting her, Phil." AJ said, "I think sometimes… could I have gotten out of my bed quicker to help her. Could I have fought a little harder-"

"April you were eight months pregnant, and it happened so fast." He said, "You can't blame yourself. Just like I can't blame myself for not being here to help you both." He said, "If anyone is to blame, it's those evil creatures who are going to prison. They done this." He said as she nodded.

"I just wish I could take her pain, you know?" AJ said as Punk nodded.

"I do too." Punk said, "Maybe the therapy will work. The doctor said he's saw it help lots of kids with the same sort of problems and experiences." He said, "He seemed really confident about it."

"I just don't want her to be frightened." AJ sighed, "I don't want her to be scared to… sleep in her own bed at night. Or go to school." She shook her head, "She's so young." She said, her voice breaking a little as Punk nodded, looking down at Maggie who was fast asleep, heading over to AJ and wrapping his arms around her.

"She'll get better." Punk said, "She just needs a little bit of guidance and help, and we're gonna be there for her. I think we all need a little bit of help. I know you tell me your fine but I know you're struggling too." He said, "I'm struggling." He admitted truthfully as she looked up at him, "Seeing you both like this. It's killing me." He admitted truthfully.

"We're all a little messed up, I guess." AJ nodded, cupping his cheek softly, grazing her thumb just below her eye as he smiled softly, "I'm… I'm ok. I've come to terms with what they done to me. I think once it's all over with, officially, it'll be easier for us." She said as Punk nodded.

They both walked out of Maggie's nursery and headed over to the sofa, taking a seat together as they continued to talk.

"It will just become a bad nightmare." Punk said, "I know it still feels like it's happening over and over every day, but it will become just a nightmare, and we'll move on." He nodded.

"Normally I would blame our jobs for… connecting us and exposing us to crime but… this didn't even have anything to do with our jobs… not really anyway." She shrugged, "Just bad timing to be having a baby, I guess." She shook her head.

"Nothing is to blame besides those fuckers. Not us, not our jobs, not our timing to have another baby. It's all them." Punk said, "What they done was evil, not just to you but to those poor girls too." He said, "They'll rot." He nodded.

"Are you still going in to talk to Bray?" AJ asked him curiously as Punk nodded.

"Yeah. We still don't know for sure what his role was in all of this so someone needs to talk to him and I volunteered." He said, "We're pretty sure he was the one dumping the bodies in the truck, and we know he definitely took you and… broke Nova's arm." Punk looked down, "But we need a confession to go by, if he's gonna give us one." He said as AJ nodded, "I think he's just a bit of a yes man to his sister." He admitted.

"I want to snap his neck." AJ spat, "Not for me but for… for what he done to Nova." She shook her head. As parents, it was hard to sit and think about their daughter being hurt by a stranger in her own bed. In fact, it was unimaginable, and AJ couldn't hold back on how much she wanted to get her hands on the man.

"I want to do more than snap his neck trust me." Punk shook his head, turning to her as she nodded, "You still thinking about it? What happened?" He asked her.

"It's getting better." AJ told him, "I think in the hospital I was just forced to think about it because I was there because of what happened. I feel better being home now. I feel a lot more stable. And I know Maggie is safe. I just… I constantly thought someone was going to come in and take her in the hospital." She shook her head.

"It was just fresh in your mind." Punk said, "I'm glad you're not feeling as hostile as you did. You're looking good." He told her. For everything she had been through, she looked amazing, but he thought she looked amazing anyway. He was glad she wasn't feeling as mentally constricted as she had been the first few days. He could see it clear as they day that she was feeling better, and more in control of things.

"I look like a zombie." AJ laughed a little, "But thank you." She smiled to him, "I've… I've actually been thinking since we got home, about… maybe looking at houses in the neighbourhood." She said as he raised his eyebrows, "I mean… just looking." She made herself clear, "I'm not sure if maybe moving would help Nova." She said.

"I thought you didn't want to move." Punk stated.

"I didn't." AJ said, "I'm still not sure if I do but… I have been thinking about it." She nodded, "I was especially thinking about it whilst climbing all those stairs whilst I was pregnant." She admitted truthfully.

"Yeah, I know. I carried you up them most of the time." He scoffed as she smiled to herself, "If you're happy here, don't force yourself to want to move. I get you're comfortable here but… if you wanna look, I'd be happy to." He nodded.

"I just think maybe a change of scenery for Nova would help her with her nightmares and what not. Like if she had a different bedroom she might not be constantly reminded of what happened." AJ said, "I don't know."

"No, I get you." Punk nodded.

"Obviously we wouldn't jump into anything right now with everything that's still going on and… Maggie is still really small, I wouldn't wanna move with her being so tiny." She admitted, "But… it wouldn't hurt to look around, I guess." She smiled to him as he nodded.

"Then we'll take a look around when we get the chance." Punk nodded to her as she smiled.

"I see my doctor tomorrow so you're good with the girls whilst I'm gone, right? It'll only be for an hour anyway." AJ said.

"Yeah, sure. Later on, I'll probably go to the station and talk to Bray one final time before things start moving forward. See what the fuck has to say." He shook his head.

"Remember you're the commissioner. You gotta keep a cool head, and if you can't then maybe it's better that someone else talks to him." She said.

"I'll be fine." Punk nodded casually, "Trust me."

* * *

"C'mon, Phil. That's enough!" Dean yelled, grabbing Punk around the waist as they rushed into the room where Punk was talking to Bray. It didn't last long until Punk just launched himself at him again, and officers piled in to the room to grab him away.

"C'mon!" Dean yelled angrily, launching Punk out of the room and pushing him a little once they got out, "What the hell are you doing?! Do you want to lose your job?" He yelled as Punk paced up and down, his hair dishevelled and over his eyes as he slicked it back, "I told you if you couldn't be professional about this then you shouldn't be dealing with it." Dean warned as Punk just took deep breaths, pacing up and down.

"My daughter isn't sleeping because of him!" Punk yelled, "She has… she has to see a therapist because of him!" Punk shouted as other officers watched him.

"This is still your job, Phil." Dean said, "You can't act like that. You're the God damn commissioner, you-you'll lose your job if you carry on this way." He spat.

"Fuck you. What do you know?" Punk shoved Dean roughly as Dean flinched a little angrily, "You're all just… you're all just fucking standing around!" He yelled at them all as they watched him, "You don't take this shit home with you!" He shouted at them.

"Just calm down." Dean told him.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Punk shouted, "He's in there making jokes and talking shit like… like this is a God damn charge for graffiti on a wall." Punk shrieked.

"If you can't deal with it then you need to walk away, Phil. Let someone else deal with it. I mean it." Dean said as Punk ran his hand through his hair, looking at everyone staring at him like he was some sort of circus animal.

"What the fuck are you all looking at?!" He yelled at them.

"I think you need to go cool off." Dean said, "C'mon, man. Take a deep breath." He said as Punk just shook his head.

"Let me go back in." Punk said.

"So you can attack him again?" Dean asked, "No, I'm not letting you go back in. You should go home and calm down." He said.

"I'm going back in." Punk shook his head, walking by him as Dean grabbed him back, only this time Punk lashed out, punching Dean across the face so hard that he fell over. Dean got up just as quick and tackled Punk to the ground as the other officers around immediately pulled them apart.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Dean spat over at Punk who was trying to wriggle free out of the other officer's grips.

"You two need to separate." One of the officers said holding Dean, dragging the two best friends apart as Punk kicked things over along the way. He was fine. He kept telling himself.

* * *

 **A/N: We all know Punk has a mad side and it seems to be coming out! What's gonna happen next? REVIEW and let me know what you think.**


	52. Not One-Sided

**Not One-Sided**

* * *

"Nova, don't run please." AJ said as she slowly walked into the station later that night, holding Maggie in her arms whilst Nova ran ahead, despite her mother telling her not to. She'd left the apartment as soon as Seth had called her to tell her Dean and Punk had a fight, and that Punk had practically had an aggressive breakdown. She didn't expect it. He seemed fine this morning, and last night, but maybe he was just good at disguising it.

"Uncle Rocky!" Nova exclaimed loudly for practically everyone in the station to hear as she ran to Rocky who lifted her up for a hug.

"Hey, my favourite girls." Rocky smiled, noticing AJ coming through with Maggie, "How is that arm doing?" He asked Nova.

"It's ok. It's not heavy anymore." Nova told him.

"You getting used to it, huh?" Rocky asked as Nova nodded.

He put her down where she then jumped up on his desk chair, spinning herself around on it as AJ approached Rocky with Maggie in her arms. She hadn't planned to exit the house looking the way she did. She had a pair of old sweats on and one of Punk's t-shirts. She felt like a walking zombie, but she had to come out.

"Hey, Rocky. You wouldn't mind watching them for five minutes?" AJ asked him.

"Of course I wouldn't." Rocky smiled, taking Maggie from her with a smile, "Hey, Maggie." He smiled down at the baby girl.

"Where is he?" AJ sighed.

"He is in his office." Rocky said, "He's gonna get himself into trouble if he carries on like this. Especially in his role." He warned, "That's twice he's assaulted a suspect and whether it was his friend or not, he assaulted an officer too." He said.

"Ok, cut him some slack." AJ sighed, "He's going through a lot." She shook her head. Just because her boyfriend hadn't been directly affected by what has happened, he was the one who had to sit back and watch those he loved suffer, he was bound to be finding this hard just as much as she was.

"I know." Rocky nodded, "I think he just needs to stay away from this place. It's too personal for him to deal with. His emotions are clouding his judgement and he's not doing his job anymore he's just… an angry guy looking for answers." Rocky said, "And I'm not saying that's wrong, he has every right to feel that way, but he can't act like that or he is gonna lose not only his role as commissioner but he's gonna lose his entire job. Walter isn't around to save his ass anymore. The board finds out about this and he's getting a hard smack on the wrist." Rocky said.

"I know." AJ sighed, "Just let me talk to him." She nodded.

"Take your time. I'm not that busy." Rocky assured her, pulling out another seat to sit on since Nova had stolen his desk chair, spinning around on it.

"Thank you." AJ smiled to him. She didn't have time to drop the kids at Dan's, so she had to come straight to the station.

She walked down the station, watching people stare at her as she quickly escaped into Punk's office where he sat behind his desk, his two top buttons undone, slouched back on his chair with his head resting on his hand.

"Who called you?" Punk shook his head.

"Seth did." AJ said, "He was worried and wanted me to come make sure you were ok." AJ said, sitting down her car keys on his desk, folding her arms, "What happened?" She shook her head. She didn't know him to be a violent or angry man, but she supposed his emotions were getting the better of him.

"I lost it." Punk shrugged, embarrassed that he had practically been put in time out and had his girlfriend called to come collect him. He felt like a child again, being picked up from school by his mother for fighting.

"You told me you'd be ok talking to him." AJ said, "And what the hell happened with Dean?" She asked him.

"He was in my way." Punk said.

"He's your best friend." AJ said, "Don't you think he was trying to help you?" She asked him.

"Are you here to give me into trouble?" Punk shook his head.

"No." AJ sighed, "I'm here because I'm worried, Phil." AJ said, "You carry on this way you will lose your job. And I don't mean as commissioner. I mean as a sergeant too." She said, "You've… You've worked too damn hard to lose it over this." She told him, walking over to him and sitting on his desk in front of him, "Do you… do you feel like you can't talk to me about how you're feeling?" She asked him sadly.

"I'm fine." Punk insisted.

"Phil, you are not fine. Believe me." AJ said, "It's not embarrassing for you to lose yourself for a few minutes, especially with what we're dealing with. I mean… we have a new-born, I'm still finding it hard to come to terms with what happened, Nova has been recommended to go to therapy." She said, "It's not exactly our time to be shining right now." She said, "And you don't have to take all of the pressure on your back and keep it into yourself. Ok? You don't have to scream into pots or pillows when I'm not looking." She told him, "You can talk to me." She nodded, reaching out and taking his hand in hers.

"You have enough on your mind." Punk waved his hand calmly, rubbing his temple tiredly.

"No, that's not the answer you should have to give me. I will always make time for you. More than I would even make time for myself." She said, "You're the one who keeps telling me we'll get through this together but… you're treating it like it's one sided, like it's only me who feels the pain and sadness." She said, "You're allowed to be upset." She nodded to him.

"I'm just trying to make sure you're all ok." Punk shrugged.

"I think that's part of the problem. We need to make sure you're ok too." She smiled, squeezing his hand, "Otherwise this is gonna happen… you're gonna snap and breakdown." She said, "And I don't wanna see that happen." She shook her head.

"Me neither." Punk said quietly.

"I think maybe you need some time away from here." She nodded.

"I have to be here. I'm the commissioner." He said.

"Well that's part of why you should take some time away, so you can come back stronger and do your job properly. Because you're just… you're just a hot mess out there." She admitted as he chuckled a little and nodded.

"A hot mess?" He asked her as she nodded with a smile.

"Very hot." She nodded, flicking his chin playfully as he smiled, "I think we need a vacation. I think we need time as a family to heal." She nodded to him, "Once those horrors are put in prison for good, it's time for us to move on, and that doesn't mean you help me and Nova move on, and you take Nova to therapy, and you take me to my doctor's appointments… that means we take care of you too." She nodded to him, "Because you're losing it, and you know you are." She said as Punk just nodded, placing his hand over his mouth, resting his elbow on the side of his chair as he took a deep breath, tears welling in his eyes as AJ shuffled off from the desk and sat down on his lap, turning his face into her neck as she felt his tears against her skin, running her hand down the back of his head repeatedly as he let it all out, biting her own lip as she tried not to get upset.

Meanwhile outside the office Dean had reappeared with his eye swollen, walking down the station as Seth jumped out in front of him.

"Where are you going?" Seth shook his head.

"I'm going home." Dean told him.

"What? You're not gonna go talk to Punk?" Seth asked, "C'mon, man. You can't be mad at him. Think about what he's going through right now."

"No, fuck him." Dean shook his head, "He's never been an angry guy like that and he just fucking came at me when I was trying to look out for him." Dean said.

"He's not thinking. Dean, he's a mess. You know he is. You can't be mad at him." Seth said, "C'mon, stay and talk it out with him. I'm sure he's feeling like shit over it all."

"Look at my fucking eye." Dean spat, "I'm not waiting around to go ask him if he's ok when he's the one who swung at me." Dean said, "Fuck him. And fuck AJ too." He spat.

"How the fuck can you say that when you know what they're going through?" Seth spat at him.

"It doesn't give him the right to punch me in the face." Dean said, "I was trying to help him."

"You're really gonna be pissed at him for this?" Seth asked.

"Yeah, I am." Dean said, "He needs help. I don't know what they done to him when he was gone for those four years, but he's not the same."

"His girlfriend almost died and his baby was almost stolen." Seth said, "Incase you forgot that little part."

"Yeah, well she's back now and AJ's still alive, so what's the big deal?" Dean shrugged, "He's going out of his mind, AJ is out of her mind the majority of the time anyway… no wonder Nova has fucking ptsd living with them." He shook his head.

"You're so out of line." Seth shook his head with disgust, "I don't even wanna talk to you if you're gonna be like that." Seth said.

"Then don't. I'm fed up of this shit." He spat, pushing by Seth and leaving the station as Seth shook his head. It wasn't like Dean to be so insulting and hurtful like that, especially towards two of his best friends. He seemed just as off as Punk did.

* * *

Once Punk and AJ stayed hidden in his office for around an hour, getting all of it out and feeling perfectly comfortable to do so, Punk decided they needed to go home, and he perhaps needed to talk to someone about going on some sort of paid leave, he was sure they could work something out, given what was going on.

He wanted to go apologise to Dean, but when he got himself together and left the office with AJ, he was nowhere to be found, and Seth just told him he had left to go home, so Punk and AJ left the station with the girls.

Punk went straight for a shower when he got in, and AJ decided that tonight, her and Nova were going to take care of him. She put Maggie down in her crib after giving her, her final feed for the night, and then headed into the kitchen to start making a batch of cookies, with Nova's help of course.

"That's it, use all of it." AJ nodded, watching Nova who stood on a chair so she could be up higher to the kitchen counter, spooning the cookie dough into the tray carefully.

"How long will they take?" Nova asked her, finishing off spooning the mix into the tray as AJ then placed the tray in the oven.

"Not too long." AJ told her, "Ok, let's give your hands a wash and tidy up." She said as Nova nodded, washing her hands, as best she could, still having her cast in the way of things most of the time.

"Is daddy not well?" Nova asked her mother as she jumped down from the chair, "Is that why we're making him cookies like you do when I'm not well." She said as AJ nodded.

"Yeah, he's… he's not feeling too good. So we're gonna take care of him. Ok?" She said.

"Ok." Nova nodded, "We should watch his favourite movie instead… the hockey one or the one with the monsters." She said as AJ smiled.

"Well we'll let him decide then." AJ nodded, tidying up the kitchen counter, putting the chair back in under the table as Nova rushed off to their TV with their DVD's stacked beside, picking out the movies that she knew her father loved, most of them were completely inappropriate for her to watch obviously, so they'd have to pick carefully.

Punk came out of he and AJ's bedroom after showering to the most amazing smell.

"Daddy!" Nova exclaimed excitedly as she saw her father, "We're making you cookies so you'll be better." She said as Punk smiled, walking round into the kitchen as AJ smiled over to him.

"They won't be long." AJ told him. She'd never saw him show any sort of real sadness before, and it was hard for her to see, he was always very well kept together, but she supposed that was probably all the more reason why he just lost his head. She just hoped they could all help one another out.

"They sure smell good." Punk smiled to her.

"Look, daddy we're gonna watch one of your favourite movies. Here." She passed a few DVD cases to him as Punk looked at the ones she had picked out, impressed by how well she knew him.

"Uh… Slapshot, Evil Dead and Star Wars." Punk nodded, "Well Slapshot is a definite no, Evil Dead shouldn't even be considered so I guess Star Wars is the winner for tonight." He nodded as Nova smiled.

"I watched the hockey one when you fell asleep on the couch one time." Nova looked up at him as Punk raised his brows, turning to AJ who hadn't heard.

"Ok, well no one needs to know that. Go… Go put the movie on." He pushed her playfully as she giggled and ran off.

He turned to AJ, smiling over at her as she leaned over to look at how the cookies were doing.

"You know, you don't have to do this." Punk said as she walked over to him.

"No. I do." AJ said, "You're not carrying this family's problems all on your back. I won't let you." She said, flattening some hairs on his moustache above his upper lip, "Let us love you." She smiled to him as he laughed a little.

"Ok. I'll let you love me." He nodded casually as she smiled, leaning up and pressing a soft kiss on his lips as his arms wrapped around her waist.

Once the cookies were baked, AJ put them on a plate and sat them on the coffee table, joining Punk and Nova on the couch with Ace too as their movie began to play.

"Do you need a head massage, daddy?" Nova asked as Punk looked down at her, chuckling a little.

"A head massage?" Punk shook his head.

"Yeah." Nova nodded, "To make you feel better." She said, already standing up on the couch, sitting on the back of it as AJ watched her with a smile, trying to hold in her laugh whilst eating her cookie as Nova began rubbing Punk's head with one hand, rubbing all the gel out of it so his hair began to fall out of its slicked do.

"You're actually pretty good at this." Punk admitted to his daughter. He hadn't ever felt as relaxed as he felt right now with a cookie in one hand, Star Wars on the TV, and a personal head massage taking place.

"Your hair is all icky." Nova complained a little.

"It's just gel." Punk said, "Go a little to the left." He told her, "No, you're other left." He turned to AJ who laughed a little.

"Ok, my hand is getting sore." Nova complained as Punk chuckled.

"Alright, thank you." Punk laughed as she sat down beside him, rubbing her now gel'd hand on her pyjama trousers that she had changed into, huffing a little at the mess it had made her hand, "Are you all gel now?" Punk laughed as Nova nodded.

"Here." AJ said, sitting at the end of the couch as she leaned over and grabbed a paper towel she'd brought over with the cookies, passing it to Punk to help clean her hand.

"Well that was the best head massage I've ever had in my entire life." Punk told Nova as her little face lit up.

"Really?" Nova smiled.

"Really." Punk nodded.

"Ok, the movie is starting." AJ told them as she leaned into Punk on one side whilst Nova curled into him on the other, laying down and resting her head on his lap.

"I don't really like this movie but I'll try watch it for you, daddy." Nova told him whilst resting her head on his lap, laying down on the sofa.

"Uh… we don't talk like that in this apartment." Punk said, "Don't we not?" He turned to AJ.

"No." AJ smiled.

"I'm just saying." Nova said dramatically, "I might fall asleep." She admitted as Punk nodded. A part of him wanted her to fall asleep. He wanted her to fall asleep safe and at peace beside them.

"That's ok, angel. You can fall asleep." He nodded with a smile, turning to AJ who smiled to him.

"Thank you." He nodded to her.

"You don't have to thank me." AJ said, "We love you." She whispered as he smiled.

"The feeling is extremely mutual." Punk nodded as she smiled, leaning down into him as they watched the movie. She didn't ever want him to feel like their relationship was one-sided, where he was the one taking care of them all the time. That wasn't how it worked at all. He was allowed to be upset just as much as she was, and he was allowed to let it all out. She was glad he had, and she was glad she could show him how much he meant to her and their girls. He meant the world.

* * *

 **A/N: Aw! More coming soon! Let me know what you think! Dean vs Punk perhaps?**


	53. Next Steps

**Next Steps**

* * *

A week had gone by and Punk had decided that it was best for him and for his family to take the time off that he needed. He spoke to some higher ups who were more than willing to give him all the time he needed, giving the circumstances of what had happened. He appreciated how understanding they were.

He still hadn't had contact with Dean. He tried calling him and even randomly dropping into the station to see if he was there, but it was like he was just avoiding him, which was hurting him a little.

They'd also gotten news about Abigail and Bray's court trials as well as pre-trial hearings that were taken place. They thought it'd be sooner, but it was scheduled for in a few months' time. Neither had obviously been granted bail because of the nature of the crime.

Currently, Punk was at Nova's first therapy session with her. He and AJ had agreed to take turns of taking her, and since it was her first session, and AJ was still a little sore and tired, she opted to let Punk go with her whilst she stayed at home with Maggie who was almost coming up for being three weeks old.

Punk was probably more nervous than he should have been, taking Nova to the play therapy. He didn't know what to expect and was a little worried about how Nova would react to it all. There was a little improvement in Nova's behaviour since the visit to the doctors. She was managing fine at school again, but she still wasn't sleeping very well. Most nights Punk slept on the couch to allow Nova to sleep alongside AJ.

"You want me to take your coat?" Punk asked her, waiting outside the room after checking in for the appointment. Nova seemed to be overwhelmed already, and didn't really know why they were here. Punk had told her they were just going to see a friend who wanted to talk. He didn't really know what else to say.

"Uh… no thank you." Nova said wearily, squeezing his hand a little tighter and standing close to him.

Soon they were called for and were directed to the room down the hall from the waiting area, walking in as Punk saw a man sitting on a soft chair.

"You must be Nova." The man stood up cheerfully. He had a shirt and trousers on, and he looked cheery.

"I don't know you." Nova mumbled as she squashed against her father's leg as Punk just smiled to the man.

"Well that's ok." The man nodded, "My name is David. It's nice to meet you." He said, extending his hand down to Nova who looked up at her father. Punk nodded his approval with a smile as she let the man shake her hand, "And you must be dad?" David assumed as he looked up at Punk.

"Yeah. Phil." Punk nodded, shaking the man's hand.

"Well it's nice to meet you both. Please, come take a seat." He nodded over to the cushioned chairs that sat over in the corner.

Punk took a look around the room whilst walking over to the seats. It wasn't really what he expected. It was a lot more simple and cheerful than he thought it'd be.

Punk took a seat on one of the chairs, expecting Nova to sit down beside him but instead she just hovered beside him as David noticed and nodded.

"Nova, do you not like meeting new people?" David smiled to her.

"Mommy says don't talk to strangers." Nova said, holding on to Punk's knee with her good hand.

"Well your mommy is absolutely right." David nodded, "It's not good to talk to strangers." He said, "But me and you are gonna get to know one another, and we're not gonna be strangers soon. I promise." David nodded with a smile.

Punk didn't know how he was feeling about having someone talk to his daughter like they knew her, but now that he was here, the guy seemed pretty nice. He even looked comforting.

"You can sit here." Punk whispered to her, patting the seat next to him that was beside David as she just shook her head and continued to hold on to his jeans.

"It's ok." David nodded, "You're fine there." He smiled, taking note of how weary Nova was being of him. It was his job to spot different signs of her symptoms, so he could help her develop on them. Having her larger, fully tattoo'd father sitting watching everything was a little bit distracting, but nonetheless.

"She's always been like that with strangers." Punk nodded to David to let him know as he just smiled and nodded.

"Well Nova, I'm gonna tell you three things about me and then if you like, you can tell me three things about you. Any three things." David said as Nova just nodded, still holding on to her father's knee as he sat and she stood beside him, "Ok, so my name is David, I love pizza and I have a dog named Bullet." He said as Nova smiled a little, "If you want, you can go." He nodded. Punk was glad he wasn't hitting her with so many questions all at once. He already felt like this was therapeutic, even for him as Nova's father.

"My name is Nova." Nova said as Punk smiled, "My mommy and daddy have guns and I like monkeys." Nova said as Punk's smile faded as he quickly turned to David and shook his head.

"We're cops." Punk nodded immediately as David smiled and nodded.

"Well thanks for telling me that, Nova." David smiled, watching as Nova was slowly but surely coming closer to him, "So you go to school?" He asked her as she nodded, "What do you like about school?" He asked her.

"I like my teacher, Miss Kelly." Nova told him, sitting up on the seat beside him, still sitting nearer to her father, but beginning to feel a little comfortable around David, slowly but surely.

"And do you have friends at school?" He asked as Nova nodded.

"Yeah." Nova said, "I'm too warm." She whispered to her father.

"Ok, take your jacket off." Punk said, helping Nova take her zip up jacket off as David watched her.

"Oh, wow. What did you do to your arm?" David asked her once seeing her cast. He obviously knew of course. He had his notes written down from the doctor of everything that had happened to Nova, but he wanted her to tell him.

"Uh… I hurted it." Nova shrugged as Punk looked down at her.

"How did you hurt it?" David asked.

"I just hurted it." Nova told him a little angrier.

"Ok." David nodded, "When is your cast coming off? I see you have some signatures on it." He smiled.

"Daddy says in a few weeks." Nova said, "And yeah. All my uncles signed it. Uncle Dean even drew a little stick man. See." She showed David as David nodded with a smile.

"I see." David smiled, "So did you just fall over?" He asked, trying to encourage her to tell him.

Nova just looked up at Punk as Punk nodded, "It's ok." Punk nodded, "You can tell him."

"It was a bad man that hurted my arm." Nova said as David nodded.

"And what do you remember most about this man?" David asked her as Punk felt Nova squash into his side a little tighter.

"He had lots of hair." Nova frowned, looking away from David.

"Ok." David nodded, "Ok, do you want to come over and play with some of the toys here?" He asked her as Nova looked over at all the toys.

"Ok." Nova whispered, jumping down from the seat as Punk watched her wander away to the toys with David, sitting holding her jacket as he watched him talk to her and play with some of the toys with her. So far seemed so good.

* * *

The session continued for around forty-five minutes. Punk even saw the progression of Nova becoming extremely comfortable with David. At first, she was hiding by his leg and by the end she was playing with some of the toys with him, and answering near enough all his questions as he did so. It was pretty cool.

David left Nova to play for the remaining five minutes whilst heading back over to Punk who was sitting.

"She's great." David had to admit as he sat down beside Punk who smiled, "She's actually trying to forget about what happened on her own which is really cool. When I asked her earlier what happened, she immediately told me that she had just hurt her arm, and that was a way of her trying to forget about what actually did happen." David said, "It's like she's already been giving the therapy to herself anyway." He said.

"Well, she is stubborn. Likes to do things on her own." Punk nodded as David smiled.

"I can see that also." David laughed lightly, "The problem with her trying to forget about it is… she's not actually accepting what happened, she's just shoving it to the back of her mind, but it's still there, and it's obviously still bothering her in certain parts of her life." David said.

"She's five. How can she learn how to accept something like that?" Punk shook his head.

"With a little bit of talking and understanding." David nodded, "You'd be surprised." He said, "I already feel like I've broken a lot of barriers already with her. She cared to mention to me that… you've not always been here. Is that something you can get into with me-"

"Uh… it was just work. I missed four years with her." Punk said, "She said that to you?" He asked.

"Yeah, well I asked her what she liked to get up to at home and she told me that it used to be just her and her mother, but now you're here and she likes it better." David nodded as Punk smiled to himself, "A part of the way Nova is trying to cope with things does suggest that she hasn't had a male figure in her life for a very long time. She's very reserved that way."

"What are you trying to say she's acting the way she is because of me?" Punk asked.

"No. It's nothing you're doing or you've done. It's my job to assess Nova, try to understand why she's thinking the way she's thinking. It is a little bit more difficult when it comes to kids because their minds are still developing and changing, but it seems that she's very much relying on you now, because she's never really had the chance to." David said, "When she first walked in, the first thing she did was hide behind you."

"Yeah, but… she was just a little frightened. She would have done the same with her mother." Punk shrugged.

"She told me it's you she wakes up when she has a nightmare." David said, "Is that true?"

"Yeah, well my girlfriend just had a baby so… I've been encouraging her to wake me up and not her." Punk said.

"I see." David nodded, "You should know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Nova. She just needs to get past this little bump. I can help her express what she feels about her trauma, and I can help her, not just by shoving it to the back of her mind, but by accepting what happened and being able to move forward from it. There's a difference." He said as Punk just nodded, "She's a great little girl." He nodded, looking back over to Nova who was playing around with some of the toys, "You should be very proud of her."

"I am." Punk nodded, "I appreciate your help." Punk nodded, "We just want her not to be so afraid of what happened." He said as David nodded.

"I understand." He smiled, "Give me a few weeks with her. I'll do all I can." He said as Punk smiled and nodded, standing up and saying goodbye whilst Nova also said goodbye, putting her jacket on with her father's help.

It was only the first session, and it was really dedicated to her becoming comfortable with David and David trying to get to know her a little better, but Punk felt like it was a promising start. Finally. Something promising.

* * *

"So it went well?" AJ asked him, later that night getting into bed with him. Both Nova and Maggie were asleep, and since Punk got home he hadn't gotten a chance to talk to AJ alone having been prepping dinner for Nova and then attending to Maggie.

"Yeah. Really well actually." Punk nodded, "She was a little shy at first but she came around and answered his questions." He said as AJ smiled, so glad to hear that Nova had gotten on well at her first session.

"What was the guy like?" AJ asked curiously.

"Super nice." Punk nodded, sliding into bed with her and facing her, "You could tell he was good with kids, you know?" He said as AJ nodded, "But he said that he thinks maybe part of the reason why Nova is having trouble with everything, is because of me being gone for those four years." Punk said as AJ shook her head.

"What's that got to do with anything?" AJ asked.

"Well he's a therapist, he'll know why she says or does certain things." Punk said, "He said that the reason she always wakes me after her nightmares, or she comes to me is because she's never had the chance to." Punk shrugged, "Made me feel kind of bad." He admitted.

"Don't feed bad. If anything, it's a good thing, having her go to you. It means she trusts you." AJ said, "What else did he say?" She asked.

"Nothing much. Just that he'll work with her for the next few weeks and he's gonna help her accept what happened, and help her express how she feels better than just crying and screaming." Punk said, "I didn't know what to expect going into it but I feel better after it, which is stupid considering it's for her but… I do." Punk nodded as AJ smiled.

"Good." AJ smiled, stroking his cheek lovingly, "I'm actually looking forward to going with her next week." She admitted.

"You'll like the guy." Punk nodded.

"I will?" AJ smirked as Punk scoffed.

"Behave." Punk said as AJ playfully pinched his cheek, "How was Maggie?"

"She was a little sick after her feed when you left." AJ said.

"Aw she missed me that much?" Punk smiled as AJ laughed lightly.

"No, I think she just took her bottle too quickly." AJ smiled to him as he scoffed, "But yes, she missed you too." She smiled, "When are you gonna talk to Dean?" AJ asked him, "That's been a week now."

"Well every time I call him he doesn't answer and whenever I drop into the station he's out or he's busy." Punk shrugged, "I hope he's not avoiding me." Punk sighed.

"Maybe he's just busy." AJ shrugged calmly, "Renee text me earlier asking if I wanted to go out for drinks next weekend with her and Eve." AJ sighed as Punk looked across at her.

"That sounds nice." Punk nodded genuinely.

"I don't know." AJ sighed, "The thought of going out trying to have a good time makes me wanna be sick." She admitted, "And I don't drink."

"Yeah, well they you don't. I'm sure she just said it in that context." Punk said, "It might be a good night." He shrugged, "It was nice of her to ask."

"I know." AJ nodded, "I don't know. I told her I'd wait and see how I feel." She said.

"You should consider it. Night off from Maggie and Nova might do you some good. Go out and relax for a few hours." Punk shrugged.

"I'm not sure." AJ said, "I'll see how I feel." She nodded. She appreciated her friends asking her to come out for a few hours. It was nice of them to not just exclude her and assume she wouldn't want to, and maybe Punk was right, maybe a few hours out of the apartment would be good for her, but she just wasn't sure yet.

"Ok." Punk nodded.

"Do you think there will be a nightmare tonight?" AJ asked him, of course referring to Nova.

"I'm not sure." Punk said, "Maybe. Hopefully not." He said as AJ nodded.

"Well I for one, am exhausted." She said truthfully as he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, me too." Punk nodded, feeling her curl into him as he wrapped his arm around her, both of them falling asleep fairly quickly.

* * *

Through the night, the apartment was dead silent, but AJ woke up. She didn't know if it was spider sense or if she had just turned the wrong way and awoken, but when she did, she began to hear cries coming from Maggie's nursery across the apartment. She turned to Punk and he was still fast asleep, so she got out of bed and left their bedroom, walking across the living room and into Maggie's nursery as she saw two figures standing over her daughter's crib, and she knew exactly who the figures were

"Put. Her. Down." AJ spat slowly, watching as Abigail slowly turned around with Maggie in her arms, whilst Bray stood behind.

"We're here for my daughter, April." Abigail whispered softly, "She's finally safe now."

"Phil!" AJ screamed frantically as Bray chuckled.

"He cannot hear you." Bray chuckled, "The child is with us now. You can't have her back. Ever." He said.

"You bastard. Put her down." AJ spat, "Please, she's… she's my baby." AJ begged with a lump in her throat, her heart pounding as Abigail looked down at Maggie.

"No, no no no." She hummed, "She is my baby. She is all mine. You're unfit to look after her, April. You and Phil. Between you both, you're unstable. You were never fit to be a mother." Abigail shook her head as AJ shook with fear, keeping her eyes on Maggie the entire time, "You're unwell, April. You can't look after her. Neither can Phil." She said as AJ shook her head, walking towards them without fear as Bray took out a knife and drove it through AJ's stomach as AJ came to a halt as she gasped, looking down at the knife in her stomach as blood began to seep out.

"W-What…" AJ looked down, her blood covering her hands as she took sharp, painful breaths, looking up at them both as Abigail cradled Maggie into her gently whilst Bray stood behind smiling.

"They should have left you to bleed out the first time." Abigail spat, taking hold of the knife in one hand whilst Balancing Maggie into her chest in the other, twisting the knife around as AJ screamed, grabbing onto Maggie's crib as the blood ran down her body and began pouring out of her mouth.

"You're nothing but a foster mother." Bray said, "We are her parents." He spat as Abigail let go of the knife in AJ, watching as AJ bled over the side of Maggie's crib, choking on her own blood as she watched them leave the nursery with Maggie, trying to shout and speak but not being able to, bleeding out everywhere and…

"April!" Punk yelled loudly as AJ shot up in bed suddenly, looking around in their bedroom and turning to Punk who had been sitting up shaking AJ for a few minutes after waking up with her cries and pleads in his ear.

"Where… Where is she-" AJ leapt out of bed, running out of their bedroom as Punk shook his head and followed after her.

AJ sprinted across the living room, bursting the door opened into Maggie's nursery as she ran over to her crib, pausing as she looked down at Maggie fast asleep in the crib. She looked around the room with alert eyes whilst Punk followed her into the nursery.

"April, what the hell is going on?" Punk asked her softly, after entering Maggie's nursery, not wanting to disturb the sleeping baby.

"I was…" AJ paused, placing her hand on her stomach which wasn't stabbed after all, looking down at Maggie who was so peaceful in her crib, "It was a bad dream." AJ shook her head, looking over to him, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around him tightly, pressing her face into his chest, "It was a bad dream." She sighed as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, kissing her head and rubbing her back gently as he looked over at Maggie asleep in her crib. Safe.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	54. When You Were Gone

**When You Were Gone**

* * *

"Morning." Punk smiled as he watched AJ walk into the kitchen, sitting at the table feeding Maggie, having just got home from taking Nova to school.

"Morning." AJ smiled softly to him.

"I made you bagels and coffee." He nodded to the plate and mug on the table as AJ smiled, pulling the chair out across from him and taking a seat, "You feeling ok?" He asked her, watching Maggie closely. Her morning feed normally was taken too fast, and then she would end up spitting up everywhere, so Punk and AJ were trying to give her little rests in between the bottle.

"Yeah, I'm ok." AJ nodded to him, "It was just a bad dream." She shook her head.

"Are you speaking to your doctors about the nightmares?" Punk asked her as AJ nodded.

"Yeah, Nancy knows about them. She wanted to put me on sleeping tablets but… I am fed up of tablets." She admitted truthfully, "If I just gotta ride the nightmares out then that's what I'll have to do." AJ said, "I might try some of those oils we got for Nova's pillow." She shrugged.

"I just don't want you losing sleep." Punk said.

"I'll be ok." AJ smiled to him, "It's strange because in my nightmares, it's like Abigail and Bray are the parents." She shook her head, "Maybe it's because her doctor husband is dead or it's because it's they two who have been caught but… it's weird." AJ shook her head.

"Yeah, well they're weird people. Nothing would surprise me." Punk said.

"How was Nova going to school?" AJ asked him as she ate her bagel and drank her coffee. She'd been gaining back a lot of her appetite again, so was Nova, which was a good thing.

"She was fine." Punk nodded, "Although, she told me as we got into the car that she was having a cake sale and everyone had to bring something in it." He said as AJ raised her eyebrows, "So I had to stop at the store and buy her cakes to take in since she never told us. Then she started getting upset because she thought everyone would have baked their things and she was bringing in store bought stuff." Punk shook his head, "It was a real drama, but then we pulled up to school and almost every kid that walked by me had store bought cakes. She didn't feel so bad after." He shrugged.

"Poor thing has had a lot on her mind." AJ sighed, "Well at least she took something." AJ shrugged as Punk nodded, "How is greedy doing over there?" She smiled over at Maggie who was guzzling away at her bottle.

"She's ok." Punk nodded, "I stop after every few minutes to let her catch her breath. I think she's scared it's gonna leave her." Punk laughed a little as he looked down at Maggie, sitting her unfinished bottle on the table whilst Punk wiped the excess milk around her mouth.

"She's so beautiful." AJ smiled over at Maggie as Punk nodded, "Do you think if she was a boy that he'd still look like me?" AJ wondered as Punk laughed.

"Honestly, I wouldn't doubt it." Punk said, "But maybe we only make little Hispanic girls. Maybe if we had boys they'd just be pale, green eyed and born with tattoos." He smirked as she laughed lightly.

"I'm really not eager to find out." AJ told him truthfully as he laughed, giving Maggie her bottle again.

"No, me neither. I think we've got enough on our hands." He smiled down at Maggie.

"When are you gonna see Dean? It's getting long overdue now." AJ said, "I mean you guys are best friends."

"Well I've been trying." Punk said, "I might go drop by his house later and see if he's there." Punk said, "I'm not spending any more time chasing him around."

"Why would he be trying to avoid you? Surely he knows it was an accident when you pushed him." AJ said, "You guys used to knock lumps out of each other when you were younger." She said as Punk nodded.

"I know." Punk said, "I don't know what's wrong with him." He said.

"Well it's better you talk to him sooner rather than later." She said as he nodded.

"Yeah, I know." Punk smiled, "Hey, I was thinking maybe in a few weeks once Nova gets her cast off and you're feeling up to it, we maybe go away for a few days. I think we need it. And I don't want us just sitting around waiting for these trials, we need to keep moving forward." He nodded.

"I agree." AJ nodded, "It might help Nova too. I never really took her on vacations when it was just… me and her." AJ said, "She'd be excited." She smiled as Punk nodded.

"We don't have to go far." Punk said, "Even just pack the car up and drive somewhere. Get out of this apartment for a few days." He shrugged as AJ nodded.

"Yeah, I like the sound of that." AJ smiled to him. They really did have to continue putting one foot in front of the other. Even with all the nightmares and the worrying and the doctors and therapists. They still had their life to live.

* * *

Later that night, Punk had gone to Dean's house after dinner. Maggie was settled and Nova and AJ were on the couch watching a movie, so he felt it was perfect time to slip out.

He didn't bother taking the car, feeling like fresh air would do him good. Dean only lived ten minutes away anyway.

He eventually got to the house and knocked on the door, placing his hands in his pockets as he waited on an answer.

The door opened as Renee stood, still in her work pants and blouse as she looked across at him.

"Hi, Phil." Renee smiled politely.

"Hey." Punk nodded, "Is Dean in? I need to talk to him." He said as Renee nodded.

"Come in." Renee smiled, opening up the door and welcoming him into the house. As far as Punk knew, they weren't moved in together, but obviously they took turns at staying at one another's places, "He's just in the kitchen." Renee pointe down the hall.

"Thanks." Punk nodded to her, walking on down the hall as Renee escaped upstairs for a shower. She'd had an earful from Dean all week about what happened with Punk, and she really just wanted them to sort it out.

"Ren, I don't think this is looking like it does in the cook book." Dean said, hearing footsteps coming to the kitchen as he looked up and saw Punk standing.

"Smells good anyway." Punk shrugged, watching Dean turn down the pots and look across at him.

"What are you doing here?" Dean asked him, "We're about to have dinner." He said.

"You've not been answering my calls or texts. Whenever I come into the station you're either busy or you aren't there." Punk said, "We haven't talked since-"

"Since you punched me." Dean finished for him.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "I just want you to know that I didn't mean it. You were looking out for me and I just didn't see it at the time." He said, "I'm fucked up, Dean." He nodded truthfully, "Things haven't felt right since over four years ago, before I was shot." He said, "I just saw red last week and I… I lashed out." He said, "And I'm sorry." He said as Dean just nodded.

"I heard you're taking some time off." Dean said, "Probably for the best." He shrugged.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "There's no point in me being there if I can't do my job properly." Punk shrugged, "And I got a few smacks on the wrist for beating up a person held in custody. Apparently as commissioner, I'm supposed to set an example." He shrugged.

"You don't think I wanted to beat him up to?" Dean asked him, "I might not know what you're going through, I don't have kids, but I understand your frustration and your angry. You're human." Dean said, "But you didn't need to get aggressive with me."

"You were just the closest person. Put it that way." Punk said.

"That doesn't make me feel better." Dean said, "Look, we've been best friends for… a lot of years." Dean nodded, "I'm not gonna fight you over this." He said, "But I'm still trying to get used to the fact that you're even here." He admitted, "I spent four years, unemployed and drinking myself into an early grave." He said as Punk nodded.

"I know, I-"

"No, you don't." Dean said, "I was addicted and I had to go to a group to get help." He said, "That's where I met Renee." He said as Punk shook his head.

"I never knew it was that bad." Punk shook his head shamefully.

"It was. It was really fucking bad." Dean said, "And you weren't here."

"That wasn't my fault, Dean. Don't you think I would have been here if I could?" Punk said, "I will never forget those four years that I missed." He said, "I'll never forget what it done to me, and my family, and you, my friends... it's something I want to forget but I know I won't be able to." Punk said, "All of this with Ape and the baby has just sort of taken over now. Like that's our next big roadblock to get across."

"I don't think you got a chance to get past the first one." Dean admitted, "I know I didn't." Dean said, "We fucking buried you. You have a grave stone. All of us had let go of any… any chance of seeing you again." Dean said, "And then you just walked around the corner one day and that's it?" Dean shook his head.

"I didn't know this was how you felt." Punk admitted.

"I've known you since I was sixteen." Dean said, "I felt like I'd lost my brother. I still do because… when you came back, you weren't the same person. You're not." Dean said, "And maybe it's because of everything that's gone on, you've not gotten the chance to find yourself again but… you're not who you used to be." Dean said, "You've got a temper now. You don't trust anyone with anything. When you're at work, you just lock yourself in your office and do paperwork, no interest of going out like we used to on the beat." Dean said, "The best thing that ever could have happened to me, was having my brother back, but… you're not the same."

"I am." Punk nodded, "I'm the same guy I've always been. Forgive me if four years locked away in a house messed me up a little, and then having my girlfriend kidnapped along with our new-born baby. As you can see, I've not really had the time to find myself again." He said.

"You don't know what it was like." Dean shook his head, "I slept on your couch most nights because I had either lost my house or I was too drunk to make it that far." He said, "And Nova would come wake me up in the morning and ask me why I was sleeping on the couch." He said.

"Dean, I know you found it hard. But I didn't ask for any of that to happen." Punk said.

"I know you didn't." Dean said, "I'm just saying that I miss my best friend."

"I'm here." Punk shook his head.

"No. You're not." Dean said, "You're not here. Not your head anyway." He said, "You think all of this would have happened if you and April just worked in a store?" He asked as Punk just screwed his face up.

"What are you talking about, Dean?" Punk shook his head.

"I'm talking about you and her. Always putting your job before anything." Dean said.

"Hold on a minute, what's just happened was nothing to do with our jobs." Punk said.

"Yes it was." Dean said, "Those freaks, that big oaf and his sister probably saw you and AJ lingering around. You were leading the case for those three girls." He said, "And then they would have gotten the world AJ was pregnant, and set their sights there." Dean said, "Every single problem you guys have, stems from your jobs and how… obsessed you are. Think about when April almost got herself killed when she was pregnant with Nova. Why? Because she was so damn obsessed with getting her sisters killer that she was putting everything before herself. Even the baby." Dean said.

"What has this got to do with anything, Dean?" Punk shook his head, "We're not obsessed with our jobs."

"Yes, you are." Dean shook his head, "Half of the shit that has happened to you two… you fucking brought it on yourselves." He waved his hand as Punk just shook his head.

"You don't mean that." Punk said.

"No, I do." Dean said, "How come I work in the same field as you and I've never gotten into so much shit before? Because I don't put it before my personal life." He said.

"Neither do we." Punk defended, "I came over here to apologise to you and now you're just being a dick."

"I'm telling you what no one else wants to." Dean shrugged.

"No, you're just being a dick, Dean. What's happened to us in the past isn't down to us being obsessed with our jobs." Punk said, "Sometimes maybe, but not recently. It's just been bad luck." Punk said as Dean just shook his head, "What are you shaking your head at?"

"Just how delusional you are." Dean said, "Because what's gonna happen is, you're gonna all move on from this. Nova will get better. Maggie will get older. April will be fine again. The trials will be all over and you'll both go back to work to get your claws into the next psychopaths, or the next fraud agents or someone who will end up ruining you both." He said, "You wonder why Nova has PTSD? Maybe because her parents are never there and when they are, they're looking at work and not paying attention to her. I mean… she practically spent the entire four years you were gone living with your dad." He said, swearing to AJ he would never tell Punk about that, not being able to bite his tongue anymore.

"Fuck you." Punk spat angrily, "You don't know a damn thing about anything." Punk said, "Fuck you, Dean." Punk hissed, walking off down the hall, passing by Renee.

"Phil, are you ok?" Renee asked as Punk just walked by her and headed out of the door, slamming it shut as she sighed.

* * *

 **A/N: Damn. Our brotp is losing it. Sigh. More to come. REVIEW and let me know what you think!**


	55. Tension Rising

**Tension Rising**

* * *

Punk wound up stopping into his father's house when he was walking home from Dean's. He was pissed and angry, and he had to walk away or else he knew he'd lost it. Maybe Dean was right. Maybe he had developed a temper, but everything else he had said was completely out of order, and quite frankly none of his business. When he brought Nova into it, and all the things she was going through, it was the final straw.

"What are you doing here so late?" Dan questioned, opening the door up to Punk who walked on in, "Is something wrong?" He immediately asked.

"No, nothing is wrong." Punk shook his head, walking further into the house, standing in the centre of the living room as Dan walked in after him, "I was just passing by." Punk said.

"Yourself? Where are April and the girls?" Dan wondered.

"They're at home. I was at Dean's. I just walked." Punk said, "He's a prick." Punk scoffed, kicking the leg of the coffee table lightly as Dan shook his head.

"Ok, don't wreck my house." Dan laughed a little, "Did you two have a fight?" He questioned, "Sit down." He ordered as Punk collapsed over onto the couch as Dan sat across on the chair.

"Well I accidentally punched him last week. I sort of lost myself in work and he just got in the way, and I really didn't mean it." Punk explained, "I've been trying to apologise all week but he's just avoided me, so I went to his house tonight and he just went off." Punk said, "Said me and Ape put our job before everyone and everything, and that's why we always end up getting hurt or getting in these situations we get in." Punk said, "And then he said that Nova practically lived with you when I was gone." He looked over at his father.

"She stayed with me a lot. She never lived with me." Dan said, "I did ask April to which she then didn't speak to me for a month, if she would want me to take her for a little while. She was really struggling with her health and going back to work, and taking care of Nova and herself, so I told her I'd be ok with having her stay with me but… April never agreed." Dan shook his head, "But Nova was at my house a lot. I think it hurt AJ to look after her. I think she just thought of you when she saw Nova and that was hard for her, for a very long time" Dan nodded.

"Dean made it out as if Nova just lived with you." Punk shook his head.

"Well she did spend a lot of time here, I get why'd he say that but I don't understand why he'd be mean about it. He knows better than anyone the struggle we all had when you were gone. April just needed a little bit of help and I gave her it." Dan shrugged.

"Thank you." Punk nodded, "I guess we're all still trying to heal from that never mind everything else that's gone on recently." He sighed, "He was just so fucking rude about it. He basically said the reason Nova has PTSD is because of me and April." Punk said. He felt like a teenager whining to his father about his best friend being a dick. He'd never really got to do that as a child. His father wasn't really involved. He didn't forget to acknowledge how much his father had turned his life around.

"He's just emotional, Phil." Dan nodded, "He doesn't mean what he's saying." He assured him, "Coming from an ex-alcoholic…" He placed his hand on his chest, "There's some tough days where you just wanna take your anger out on everyone and you just wanna… take a drink." Dan nodded, "Believe me."

"I never knew his drinking was so bad." Punk admitted, "I just feel like everyone around us is getting tainted." He sighed.

"No one is getting tainted." Dan said, "You shouldn't have to be worrying about everyone else around you. Dean is probably just upset at everything that has gone on, and you punching him probably pushed him over the edge a little." He said, "You have plenty to be worrying about with your own family, and not everyone else around you." He said as Punk just sighed, "You put your job before a lot of things, I agree with Dean, you and April. But you do not put it above those little girls. He knows that and I know that." Dan said, "That was just a comment he made in the heat of the moment."

"I'd put anything before the girls. All three of them. They're the only thing keeping me going right now." Punk said, "And I thought I'd have my best friend by my side to talk to." He shook his head.

"Just give him some space. He's still not over you being gone for so long. We all never really got the chance to let that sink in before everything that happened with April and Maggie." Dan said, "It's probably just caught up to Dean and he's lashed out."

"He was saying it like it was mine and April's fault that she got kidnapped and Maggie got taken." Punk groaned. He was angered by the full thing.

"Well that's just ridiculous." Dan shook his head, "You didn't ask for that, and it's harsh for him to say something like that when he knows how much you guys have struggled with this." Dan said, "I'd give him his space. You just keep concentrating on you and your family. That's all you can do."

"I don't know what to tell April. She'll be mad with him. She holds a grudge longer than I do." He admitted.

"Well then that's her decision." Dan said, "You both know yourself that none of this was your fault, and that Nova's problems in the past few weeks are not your fault either. Dean even knows that. I don't know what he's thinking saying something like that." Dan shook his head.

His son and his family were going through a difficult time. Of course they were. Their new-born baby was almost stolen by a crazy lady, and AJ almost died in the process. For Dean to say something like what he had to Punk's face, like it was his and AJ's fault, it seemed pretty harsh. But Dan could sense Dean hadn't quite gotten over Punk's four-year absence, and the path he had gone down during that time. He didn't think anyone had gotten over it just yet. He himself couldn't believe Punk was here sometimes. They'd been so used to thinking he was gone forever for four years.

"We're probably going to go away for the weekend soon. Take a few days out of town. Load the car and just drive somewhere." Punk said, "I don't want April to end up feeling isolated in the apartment." He said.

"You guys deserve a break away somewhere. Life has to carry on again, even if you're waiting for these trials in a few months. Life still has to carry on." Dan nodded, "Don't take Dean's comments to heart. You guys have a lot of love for each other, maybe that's why he's been so upset." Dan shrugged.

"I don't know." Punk sighed, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Listen to me." Dan warned, "Just focus on you and your family. Maybe now you can start healing from your four-year absence. Take the time you need. You have so many reasons to be grateful, Phil. This could have played out an entirely different way, but you're here, April is here, Maggie is here, Nova is here… and you're all safe. That's a triumph in my opinion giving what happened." Dan said as Punk nodded. He couldn't agree more.

"You were never this good at advice." Punk added in teasingly.

"I was never even good at communicating with you and your brother." Dan admitted truthfully as Punk nodded, knowing that to be true.

"Well I appreciate it. Makes a difference having someone to talk to." Punk nodded to him, "I'm just gonna focus on my family." He stood up as Dan nodded.

"That's what is important. I'm not saying your friends aren't important, because they are just as important, but you need to be there for your family. For the girls and April. You can't start blaming yourself or letting others get into your head." Dan shook his head, "Before you know it, everything will be calm again, and back to normal." Dan nodded.

"I hope so." Punk sighed.

* * *

Punk got home later that night, walking into the apartment where he saw AJ laying on the couch fast asleep with Ace by her feet. Some crime documentary was on the TV down low and after checking in both the girls' rooms, seeing them both out cold, fast asleep, he assumed AJ had just crashed.

He was so glad she wasn't as jumpy and jittery as she was when she first got home. It took her a while to even be ok with letting Maggie into her nursery, most nights she wanted to just watch her, but now things were going back to normal, at least a little.

He didn't want to wake her, so grabbed a blanket and shook it over her, but her eyes opened immediately, looking up at him as she woke up.

"Hey, sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I didn't want you to be cold." He admitted as she just smiled softly.

"I heard you come in." AJ assured him, "How did it go? You were away for longer than I thought." She admitted, sitting up slowly as Punk sat across from her.

"Not so good." Punk rubbed the back of his neck, "I went to my dad's, that's why I'm a little later." He explained.

"What happened? You didn't fight again, did you?" AJ asked.

"Not physically." Punk said, "He said some mean shit." He nodded, "Basically said everything that's happened is our own fault." He shrugged as AJ raised her eyebrows, "My dad seems to think he's still not really recovered from me being away those four years, and obviously everything that went on with his drinking problem." Punk said, "But that's no excuse. He knows what we're going through and… we didn't ask for this. He's gotta know that." He said.

"Did he really say that?" AJ asked in disbelief. It wasn't like Dean.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "He also said that we're the reason Nova has PTSD." He said, "And that she practically lived with my dad because you couldn't look after her when I wasn't here." He said as AJ shook her head. She couldn't believe Dean would say that. Especially when he now how much she struggled during Punk's absence.

"She didn't live with your dad." AJ immediately said.

"I know. I spoke to him." Punk said.

"I thought I'd lost you." AJ said, "And-"

"Hey, you don't defend anything. You just needed some extra help. If I was in your shoes, I would have too." Punk nodded, "Dean was out of line to say that as if you weren't a good mom. You're the best mom. He knows nothing." He shook his head. He wasn't mad that Dean was pissed with him, he was mad that he had brought April and Nova into it.

"Why would he say that?" AJ asked, "What the hell is wrong with him?"

"Dad seems to think he's just lashing out because of everything that's happened, and that maybe he's still not fully recovered from his drinking problem." Punk said, "I never knew it was so bad."

"He'd show up here drunk almost every night." AJ said, "And I would let him." She spat, "Now I wish I hadn't." She shook her head. She was hurt that Dean was saying all of this, especially when both of them were his closest friends. She understood everyone snapped every now and then, but there was no need for it to go this far.

"I think he's just upset about everything and he's lashing out. He thinks we would put our jobs before Maggie and Nova." Punk said as AJ shook her head.

"That's ridiculous." AJ spat, "How dare he think that."

"He's probably not thinking." Punk shook his head.

"Don't defend him." AJ warned, "He knows how hard it's been for us, through you being gone and with everything happening recently… how can he even say that… how can he say it's our own fault. We didn't ask for this." She spat angrily.

"I know, just… best thing to do is not get mad about it." Punk said, "I spoke to my dad, he thinks that Dean is just upset, and given his former alcohol problems, he thinks that might be playing a role in it." Punk said, "You don't think he blames me for… the path he went down, do you?"

"He better not." AJ spat, "Does he think it was easy for you or any of us when you were gone?" She shook her head.

"I don't know what he's thinking." Punk said, "I'm just gonna give him his space. I'm not chasing after him, especially not after the things he said." Punk shook his head, "We just need to keep doing what we're doing, focusing on us and the girls." Punk nodded, "That's the most important thing right now." He said as she just nodded casually.

"Phil, Nova didn't stay with your dad. I mean… she was there a lot but I was finding it hard to even take care of myself-"

"Babe, you don't have to explain to me. I'm glad my dad was there for you. I'm not gonna get mad because you struggled on you own. I would have too. In fact, I have no idea what I would have done if I thought you were dead." He admitted. It was a scary thought.

"I don't want you to think I abandoned her. Is that the way Dean said it?" AJ asked.

"No, I don't think he meant it like that. I don't know what he's thinking. He's not thinking that's the problem." Punk said, "I know you didn't abandon her." Punk nodded, "Let him ride this out on his own." He said as AJ just nodded and sighed.

"I just can't believe he'd bring the kids into it. And act like we're awful parents." AJ shook her head, "He's your best friend."

"He's just finding it hard like the rest of us. He's always acted out in anger." Punk said, "My dad is right, we just need to focus on us. We need to fix ourselves before everything else around us. That might be selfish but… my main priority is you and our girls. It always will be. Not our job, despite what Dean thinks." He rolled his eyes as AJ just nodded.

She'd gone that quiet way where he was worried about what she was thinking, "Don't let this get to you." He warned her lightly, "I know what you're like. Just forget about it." He said as AJ just nodded silently, "Did the girls go down ok?" He asked her.

"Mhm." AJ nodded, "Maggie fell asleep during her last feed, formula started spilling out of her mouth, it was cute."

"She was tired and cranky today." Punk said, "She was probably just exhausted."

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "And Nova went to sleep fine. She was tired too." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"I'm tired too." Punk admitted, rubbing his hand over his face as AJ nodded.

"Yeah, me too." She smiled to him, "I'll shut everything off in here, you go on ahead." She nodded to him as he didn't have to be told twice, standing up and heading off into their bedroom as AJ eventually joined him.

* * *

As soon as Punk's head hit the pillow, he was fast asleep, and AJ struggled to even shut her eyes. She was really hurt by what Dean had said, especially bringing Nova into it and her own little struggles she'd been having. It was unfair on them as a family, to be told from one of their best friends that it was their own fault. Even if he was just lashing out, she was hurt, and she was also incredibly angry.

She got out of bed and got into some sweats and a pullover hoodie, quietly leaving her sleeping boyfriend in bed and leaving the apartment, getting into the car and driving to Dean's. She had made sure to leave Punk a note on her pillow in case he woke up in fright of her not being there. She just said she'd gone for a drive.

She drove to Dean's house and got out of the car, walking up the steps and knocking loudly, knocking even louder again after he didn't answer the first time. She then heard steps coming down the stairs and the door unlocking.

Dean opened up the door, standing in just his boxer shorts half asleep, "AJ, what the hell-"

"Move." AJ spat, pushing by him and walking into the house as Dean shook his head and shut the door over, following her into the living room.

"It's 2am, what are you doing here?" Dean shook his head.

"How fucking dare you." AJ spat, "You're supposed to be our friend." AJ said, "You're supposed to be there for us right now, more than ever." She said, "How dare you imply that I abandoned Nova when Phil wasn't here." She shook her head.

"April, this was between me and Phil." Dean shrugged, "You need to go home."

"No, you need to listen to me." AJ spat, "The moment you brought my name and Nova's name into this, you made it between me and you too." She said, "You know better than to ever come at me. And I sure as hell thought you knew better than to come for either of my girls." AJ said, "Phil doesn't wanna fight with you but I will happily go through you if you continue in this petty mood that you're in." She said.

"I told Phil my opinion. I'm entitled to one. If he doesn't like it, he sends you here to fight his battles?" Dean asked.

"No, I came here on my own. You'll know when you push Phil to far, trust me." AJ warned, "And you don't want to get to that point." She said, "You can be mad about all of this, you can be mad about the four years Punk wasn't here, the four years that we all suffered, not just you, and you can be mad about those psycho's taking me and kidnapping Maggie, but how dare you stand there and tell Phil that it is our own fault." AJ spat.

"I'm just stating facts. You're both too involved with work. If you just stayed lowkey and accepted things can't always be resolved, then you could have avoided a lot of tough situations that you've both gotten yourselves in over the years." He said.

"Me and Maggie being taken was nothing to do with our job." AJ said.

"Of course it was. You were leading the God damn case with those three murdered girls. You were in their sights, even more so when they realised you were pregnant." Dean said, "This is the fucking problem. You two don't even see it. One of these days, it's not gonna end in your favour and one of you or maybe even both of you, are gonna end up dead. And then what happens to your precious girls then, huh?" Dean asked as AJ slapped him across the face and then roughly shoved him.

"You need to shut your mouth." AJ spat, "I don't know if you're just having a bad day, maybe a bad week, I don't know if you're gasping for a drink and this is how you cope with it by getting mad at everyone, but don't you dare forget that I was there for you when you needed someone." AJ warned him as he rubbed his cheek where she had slapped. It wasn't actually a slap it was more of a clobber around the ear, "I let you into the apartment, I gave you company, I gave you a place to crash if you needed it, I helped you with counselling." She said, "And this is how you treat me?"

"It's not personal." Dean said, "I'm just worried you'll both get yourselves killed and I don't mean the fake kind of killed." He said.

"Well there are nicer ways to tell us that's how you feel." AJ spat, "Just… stay away from us for the time being." She shrugged and folded her arms, "And if you ever use my children in the context that they are abandoned, or mistreated, or neglected… I swear, Dean. Our friendship is over." AJ said as Dean watched her.

She was pretty terrifying when she was angry, and he'd never saw her this angry before.

They had an intense stare-out for a few more seconds before AJ left the house and closed the door over, leaving Dean standing in the middle of the living room with a stinging face and a lot on his mind.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	56. Therapy Session Two

**Therapy Session Two**

* * *

It was a week later and Punk hadn't spoken to Dean since their fight, and neither had AJ since she stormed up at his doorstep at 2am. She hadn't told Punk that she had words with Dean. She didn't see how it mattered. She only said what he was thinking.

AJ was finally getting the chance to meet Nova's therapist for the first time. She was extremely excited, if that was even possible, and also a little nervous. It did seem like her and Punk were more nervous than Nova. Punk stayed at home with Maggie whilst AJ took Nova to therapy.

"Why isn't daddy taking me to David like last?" Nova wondered whilst sitting with her mother outside the office. Her problems weren't going away by any means, but every day she made a little improvement, and AJ and Punk were so proud. Things did seem like they were going back to normal, despite the chaos with Dean that both she and Punk were trying to ignore.

"Daddy is staying at home with Maggie this time." AJ said, "We'll take turns of taking you." She said, playing with Nova's hair as they waited on David calling on them.

"Do you know David? He's my friend." Nova told her proudly as AJ laughed lightly.

"Baby, you've only met him once." AJ chuckled lightly.

"Yes but he played with me and he told me that even adults can get scared of things." Nova said, "I didn't know that." She admitted cutely as AJ smiled.

"We can get terrified." AJ nodded.

"Even you and daddy?" Nova asked, swinging her legs back and forth, dangling off the chair.

"Yeah." AJ nodded. Little Nova had no idea just how scared her mother and father could be.

"Hey, Nova." David smiled as he opened up his room door as AJ looked over at him and smiled. She understood what Punk meant by him looking kind. They never judged anyone by their looks, but David really did have a soft aura about him.

"Hi, David." Nova stood up, "This is my mommy." She took her mother's hand, as if leading her the way as AJ laughed a little.

"It's so nice to meet you. I'm April." AJ smiled pleasantly, extending her hand as David shook it.

"It's nice to meet you too." David said, "Please, come in." He nodded as AJ and Nova walked into the room. AJ looked around of course, just like Punk did. Punk had tried to describe it as best as he possibly could, but now she could see for herself, "So how have you been Nova?" David asked as AJ took a soft seat with Nova sitting beside her.

David could already see a big difference in Nova, especially in the way she was carrying herself. He knew part of it was obviously because this wasn't their first meeting, and the first meeting was a little awkward and scary for her, but she seemed keen to see him which made him smile.

"I'm good." Nova nodded, "I can get my cast off soon." She pointed to her healing arm.

"Well that's terrific news." David smiled, "How is school?" He asked, just starting off with some simple things before getting into any sort of physical play and talking.

"Good I had a cake sale last week and I selled the most cakes, didn't I mommy?" She turned to her mother who smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, you did, baby." AJ smiled.

"What kind of cakes did you sell?" David asked.

"Uh well daddy had to buy them but only because I forgot. But there were cupcakes, fairycakes, muffins and cookies." Nova nodded.

"That sounds delicious." David smiled.

AJ loved how out of her shell Nova had become. She obviously knew she struggled a little last week when Punk took her, but clearly there had been a big improvement, which was a great thing.

"Can we go play?" Nova asked whilst struggling to take her jacket off, getting help from her mother.

"Woah, someone is very eager today." David laughed a little.

"Well I gotta get back to watch the hockey with daddy. Mommy isn't allowed to watch it she gets too angry." Nova said as AJ nudged her a little, "What?" Nova turned to her innocently as AJ just smiled to David.

"I think we all get a little angry when it comes to our favourite sports, don't worry." David smiled.

The thing that AJ loved already about it, was that it didn't look like a therapist's office. Obviously, she knew he worked with younger kids, but the place was bright and colourful, and nice to sit in. She also loved how unaware Nova was about it all. She just thought it was a place to come play, which she supposed was the nature of the therapy.

"Here you hold this mommy." Nova said as she handed her jacket to AJ who nodded and folded her jacket up over her lap.

"Ok, then Nova. Let's go get some things out." David nodded as AJ smiled, watching Nova hop down off the chair and rush over to the table where some toys were already sitting. She was fascinated by it already, how Nova could be expressing things through the way she played. It was pretty cool.

* * *

She sat for the session and watched as Nova played with David whilst answering some questions and talking. She was really good at answering the questions, but some were either too hard for her to understand, or just too scary for her to reflect on. She wasn't quite there yet, although she did acknowledge what had happened to her with Bray hurting her. She understood now what Punk was saying about it being therapeutic for them, for both of them to see their little girl opening up and being able to talk about something she was so scared of, it was great, and David was amazing the way he handled it.

Like last time, David left Nova to play for the remaining ten minutes and joined AJ over on the soft seats.

"She's doing good." David smiled, "I've saw such a huge difference in her, in only a week." David said, "She said she's still not having very good sleeps." He said.

"Yeah, she's still having a few nightmares." AJ nodded, "They aren't as frequent or as intense though, I've noticed." AJ added.

"Well that's good. That's still progress." David smiled, "She seems much more aware of what happened to her, and like I said to your husband last week, it's like her little brain is already trying to just shove it to the back of her head. Like most of us all day, I guess." He laughed a little, "But I want to help her accept what happened, so that when she does put it to the back of her mind, it's not a burden." He said as AJ nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, I'd rather that." AJ smiled, "She looks like she really enjoys it which… was my biggest concern with this." She admitted truthfully.

"Yeah, your husband said that. Most kids get so distracted in playing with the toys that they naturally spill out what they're thinking, if they're asked the right questions." He nodded.

"We're uh… we're not married." AJ nodded.

"Oh." David shook his head, "Oh, my apologies." He said.

"It's ok." AJ smiled pleasantly, "We just really want Nova to… not be afraid, you know. She's so young, too young to be afraid of anything. I feel so much better being here and seeing how well she gets on." She nodded.

She felt good, like Punk had said, it was almost therapeutic for them too because they could sit and watch Nova explain how she really felt, even if it was short and brief sometimes. Of course it broke her heart when she heard about how scared her daughter was, and how scared she was to even close her eyes sometimes because all she saw was Bray, but it was things they could work on, there was already so much improvement already.

"I'm excited to see Nova's progression. She's a bright, sweet little girl. I have no doubt that with a little bit more time and patience, she'll be able to accept what happened to her." He nodded as AJ smiled, "It's also great that you and her father are taking a part in it also. Some parents like to just drop their kids off and then pick them up but I think it's important for a parent to be in the room." He nodded.

"Oh, yeah. I wanna be there for her. To make sure she knows she can come talk to us." AJ nodded

"Well that's one of the main things. I don't want this just to help Nova talk more about what happened and how she feels in this room, but also when she goes home too. That's a big thing." David said.

"Yeah, I agree." AJ smiled, "I really appreciate what you're doing. You must have a lot of patience." She said, standing up as David stood too.

"I have some, yeah." David smiled, "So… you and Nova's father, you guys get on ok, right?" He asked as AJ blushed a little.

"Yeah, we get on just fine." AJ smiled to him. She wrongly assumed he was after winning her with charm but...

"He's a very handsome man." David nodded as AJ's smile started to fade a little, "Very handsome." David emphasised as AJ nodded.

"I… completely agree." AJ smiled softly as he laughed lightly. She really liked him, he was sweet and pleasant and kind and she didn't even feel threatened that he perhaps had his eyes on Punk, "Ok, bug. Come get your jacket on." AJ smiled as Nova quickly got up and ran over to her, "We'll see David next week, ok?" She said as Nova nodded, smiling up at David.

* * *

"What do you mean he likes me?" Punk shook his head, standing in Maggie's nursery, bouncing the screaming four-week-old in his arms as she cried harshly.

"I mean, he thinks you're very handsome and asked if me and you got on ok." AJ smiled, "I really like him."

"What? Because he fancies me?" Punk shook his head.

"I'm not meaning that, I mean for Nova. He's great with her, he really gets her to open up." AJ nodded, "And I find it cute that he thinks you're handsome. I think he has a boyfriend though, I looked over at his desk." She said.

"Oh, well that's alright then." Punk shook his head, "You're not normally this calm when other women say I'm handsome." He said with offence.

"No other women are calling you handsome." AJ chuckled to herself as he rolled his eyes, "What's wrong with my baby?" She sighed, walking closer to him and scooping her into her arms, "What's the matter, baby girl? What's all the tears for?" She cooed in a soft voice whilst Punk watched, listening as Maggie went dead silent and began to doze back to sleep.

"She's having me on." Punk grunted, "She's only a month old and she's playing me." Punk shook his head as AJ smiled, placing Maggie down in her crib after bouncing her lightly to sleep.

"She just wanted momma to put her to sleep." AJ said softly, placing their baby girl down, stroking her cheek softly as they left the nursery.

"So you and Nova got on ok?" Punk asked her.

"Yeah. I feel better after having been now. And I totally get what you meant when you said you found it therapeutic for you. I felt the same." AJ nodded, "Just knowing she can open up a little bit better there is great." AJ said, "I'm so glad we're doing something about it. I mean if that was me as a little girl, I would have just been told to get on with it." She said, walking into the kitchen with him as he nodded.

"Yeah, me too. I got told once to just get on with it when I cracked my head off the side of the mantel. Mike kicked our dog so I started a fight with him and he pushed me back. Mom and dad told me to walk it off. Turns out I cracked my skull and had internal bleeding." Punk said.

"So that's why you're dumb." AJ teased as Punk nudged her side playfully. He saw her playful side coming back out slowly but surely. Things were getting better for them, and it was because they were focusing on themselves and their family. Of course they were both thinking of Dean, but they knew they had to put their family first at the moment, to keep themselves healthy.

"I was looking at some places to stay for weekends away." Punk said as AJ nodded, "If you're still up to it that is."

"Yeah, of course I am." AJ smiled, "I think we need it." She admitted truthfully, "And I wanna get the girls away, get them some fresh air somewhere."

"Well a lot of the places I was looking at were like little log cabins and cottages. They were really cute, you'd like them." He nodded.

"I'll switch the kettle on and we can have a look on the laptop." She said as he nodded, leaning over and kissing her cheek softly as she smiled to herself.

One step at a time.

* * *

 **A/N: Coming up, vacation time, more on Dean, the trials are approaching and lots more! More calmer chapters just on our cute little family of four coming up though just so I can prep you all. LOL. Thanks for the support and the reviews. I really appreciate it. Keep letting me know what you think.**


	57. Family Time

**Family Time**

* * *

"She went out like a light." AJ smiled as she walked out of the small cabin door out onto the porch where Punk was sat on the couch swing, joining him on it as he smiled.

"She was hyper from the minute she woke up. She'll be exhausted." Punk said, slinging his arm around her shoulder as she sat down beside him.

It was three weeks later and they had finally got to go on that weekend away they had been planning. They waited until Nova's cast was off so she could enjoy it that little bit more. They'd found a small little cabin in the woods to rent out. They weren't into warm sandy beaches or city breaks. After the chaos in their life, they liked the peace and quiet. There was a lake in their view just a few yards away where they had spent most of the afternoon feeding the ducks at. There was also a huge park, nothing compared to the local one they had near their apartment. And there were little stores nearby too. It was perfect.

Neither of them had spoken to Dean, which had made it four weeks since they last spoke. They had been keeping themselves to themselves, and focusing on their little family, and they were really beginning to feel better, Nova included as she regularly attended her play therapy and was expressing a lot more about what had happened.

"It's so quiet out here." AJ sighed with relaxation, "If I ever won the lottery I would just buy a house in the middle of nowhere. It's so nice." She said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, it's got a nice atmosphere." Punk agreed, "It's just nice to get away, isn't it?" He said, "Feels like we can breathe a little better out here." He admitted truthfully as she nodded.

They had packed the whole family in the car, that meant Ace too who was enjoying the lake and the parks, now crashed out inside, lying outside the girls' room of course.

"What you thinking about?" AJ asked Punk, looking up at him, noticing his brain at work on something. He just had this look on his face.

"A lot of things." Punk nodded to her, "Mostly Dean." He admitted as AJ nodded, "Sometimes I think… what if he's right? What if we were too involved with the case that… it was inevitable that something would end up happening to us… to you." He turned to her as she shook her head.

"Whether that's the case or not, Dean is supposed to be our friend. Your best friend since you were sixteen. For him to turn around and say what he did, especially about Nova, it broke my heart. I didn't think he'd ever go there with us." She admitted, "And maybe it's more to do with his own problems, and his own demons, but we're not there for him to take things out on." She shook her head.

"I know." Punk said, "I've not been thinking about what happened as much." He admitted to her, "What about you?" He asked. They made it a regular to talk about how they were feeling regarding what had happened with Bray and Abigail. It was something they were finding hard to get over, but with every little small step, improvements were being made, and they found that talking about it really did help.

"Not as much." AJ nodded positively, "I think being together these past few weeks, spending so much time just the four of us, made me realise that… we still have each other, and the girls. Yeah, it could have ended in a different way, but what's the point in saying what if? What happened, happened. And now we can just move forward, and they can rot in prison." AJ said, "It's always gonna be a bad memory but… I've got a ton of bad memories. I can just add it to the list." She shook her head as he nodded.

"Yeah, you're right." Punk nodded, "Spending time together just the four of us has been important. I love our friends and my dad and everyone else in our life but, just focusing on us right now has been important." He said as AJ smiled.

"Nervous for the trials?" She asked him, "I feel like it's gonna be a good few tiring weeks." She nodded.

"They'll get what they deserve. Whether they go to a whack shack prison or they go to a normal one, they're getting locked away regardless and that's all I care about." He said as she nodded, "It'll be over before we know it, and we can get back to normal life." He nodded.

"I don't… I don't regret how involved we get with our work." AJ told him, "We've always been this way, and it's because we care about our jobs, and about justice, and what's right, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that." She shook her head, "The way Dean said it, like it's such a bad thing to enjoy going to work and putting everything into what you do, I don't understand it." She shook her head.

"I just think he means when it comes to bad things always happening to us, it always stems from us digging into something we shouldn't or poking in too far."

"We're cops, we live to poke in too far." She shook her head, "We love our jobs but for him to act like we love it better than Nova and Maggie was just… stupid." She shook her head, "Those girls are my everything. Every day I feel so lucky to be their mom, and when someone questions that love you have for them it's… it's the most insulted I've ever felt." She admitted truthfully.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Punk nodded, "I would literally do anything for them it scares me." He said as AJ nodded.

"A part of me wants to believe that, everything that has been put in front of us over the years, has just been to test us… to make us stronger." She said, "I actually think it's working." She whispered. She did feel a stronger build in their relationship ever since she was taken. They'd always been strong, but they were getting even stronger.

"Well I really think we've had enough tests at this point." He sighed as she laughed lightly.

"Yeah, too many." AJ smiled, curling into his side as he used his foot to lightly swing them back and forth. The stars were out in the black sky, and the lake was still and calm. Just the look of it was peaceful.

"Normally couples get tested with kids, work, marriage, moving house, deciding what to have for dinner." He said as she laughed, "Our tests are a little different, I guess."

"Well you know how much I love to be different." She said as he nodded with a smile, "I think we should… talk to Dean when we get back. Clear all of this up. I never told you but, the night you had that fight with him, I went and visited him and I… I might have slapped him." She said as he raised a brow, "He deserved it, and he had this look on his face like… like even he knew he deserved it." She said, "I just wanted him to know that what he said was wrong, especially when I was there for him those four years you were gone. I let him crash at the apartment, I gave him company when no one else could be bothered to, I would look out for some local job ads in the paper and send them to him… and for him to say I abandoned Nova. It fucking hurt." She admitted.

"I think he's just caught up. It's not like him to be like that." He said.

"I know, I just… I want it cleared up." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, I do too." Punk agreed, "Can you imagine what would have happened if… if you had married Jacob and we never got together?" He asked her.

"I believe we would have ended up together either way." AJ said.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Punk nodded, "Have you thought anymore about… moving?" He asked her, "I know you were just thinking out loud and I know how you feel about it, and with the trials coming up too in a few months but… I was just wondering." He said.

"I think about it from time to time, yeah." AJ nodded, "I guess I'm just looking for a fresh start after the trials are over, and I thought maybe moving into a house would help us with that." She shrugged, "But I'm still not sure if I wanna leave our apartment. It's a good apartment. It's big." AJ said, "And although there are a ton of bad memories, there's way more good ones."

"You take your memories with you, though. Don't you?" He said.

"I guess." AJ nodded, "I don't know, I just don't know if anywhere else would feel like home." She admitted.

"I get you." He nodded, "Well hey, there's no pressure, if it's something we still wanna consider after the trials then, we'll look into it." He said as she smiled and nodded.

"It's getting cold out here." AJ admitted truthfully.

"You wanna go in?" Punk asked, rubbing her shoulder softly as she smiled up at him and smirked, biting her lip as Punk nodded, "Yeah, we're going in." He answered for her, standing up and lifting her up as she giggled to herself, feeling him bury his face into her neck as she laughed lightly, trying not to be too loud in case she woke the girls up, heading on into the cabin and into their bedroom.

* * *

"Fuck." AJ moaned, laying on her back in the centre of the bed a few hours later with Punk atop of her, thrusting into her as her legs fit perfectly around him. The bedroom was hot and steamy, but neither cared, they only had their minds on one thing. Each other.

"You gonna cum?" Punk whispered in her ear, tugging on her ear lobe as she rolled her head back and groaned.

"Fuck! Yes, baby. You're gonna make me cum." AJ gasped breathlessly as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, swallowing her moans as he thrust into her with great force, bumping against her g-spot continuously which drove her crazy.

Punk felt up to teasing for the night, and so pulled out of her just before he saw she was about to cum, watching her eyes dart to his with confusion as she felt him begin to stroke her clit slowly.

"No… what are you doing?" AJ moaned like a child, "Give it back." She begged possessively as Punk smirked.

"What's the magic word?" Punk asked her.

"Please." AJ begged, biting her lip and rolling her head back. She was ready to burst and she couldn't believe he picked that time to tease her. Sometimes she enjoyed to be teased, other times she wanted to kick him in the face and just glue his hips to hers.

"Please what?" Punk asked her, slowly playing with her clit, their faces close together as she looked in her eyes.

"Please, I want to cum." AJ moaned, "Please I need you inside me." She begged as Punk smirked, pushing himself back into her as she gasped and smirked to herself, "Yes, baby! Right there!" She gasped, finding her release as Punk watched. He knew when he pulled out for a few seconds and re-entered her, she had a more intense release, so intense her legs would quiver around him as he slowed down his pacing.

"Fuck, baby. I could watch you cum all day." Punk moaned as she gasped, cupping her breasts as she breathed heavily, her whole body tingling from head to toe as she looked in his eyes longingly.

Punk eventually came too, pulling out of her and stroking himself as he spilled himself on her stomach and over her breasts, groaning in a low-toned voice as AJ smiled watching him, sliding her finger over her body marked in his release, and putting it in her mouth as he ran his two hands through his sweaty hair, collapsing down beside her, breathing heavily.

"Work of art." AJ nodded as he laughed to himself, trying to catch his breath.

"Well I've had plenty of practise." He shrugged cockily as she laughed.

"Of course." AJ nodded, turning to him and smiling to him, "I'm so glad we're here." She smiled as he nodded. He loved that smile. It had been a real struggle to make it appear these past few weeks, but it was finally coming back, and things were finally headed in the right direction, they just had to tie up things with Dean and keep moving forward.

"I'm glad we're here too." Punk smiled, leaning over and kissing her softly.

Once he pulled back, she sat up to get out of the bed, "Where are you going?" He asked like a lost puppy.

"To clean up the mess you made on me." She smirked to him, standing up as his eyes followed her ass as he placed his hands behind his head and smiled, waiting as she eventually came back out of the bathroom, watching her laugh.

"What?" He said.

"You look quite happy sitting there." She said.

"I am. You can just… walk around for a little while if you like." He nodded as she laughed lightly, getting back into bed beside him and curling into him.

* * *

"Daddy. Daddy, wake up." Nova nudged her father on the shoulder repeatedly as Punk began to open his eyes slowly, lying on his stomach with his head turned to the side as he saw Nova standing in her pyjamas.

Punk looked at the digital clock on the nightstand reading 8am and groaned a little.

"Don't you wanna sleep for a little while longer?" He croaked.

"No, daddy I'm up." Nova told him, "And so is Maggie she's just not crying yet. I looked at her." She said. Her and Maggie were sharing a room, and Nova liked to check on her sister. She was very protective.

"Ok, alright." Punk nodded, "Go… go into the living room I'll be in, in a minute." He told her as Nova nodded, rushing out of the bedroom as Punk got out of bed, sliding on some basketball shorts over boxers and grabbing a t-shirt.

He walked into the girls' room, looking over at Maggie in her travel crib where she lay staring up at him. She really was a great baby. Some days she got a little cranky and cried more than normal, but only if she hadn't had a good sleep. Normally she slept right through. She was a charmer.

"Hi, sweetness." Punk smiled down at her, leaning down and picking her up into his arms softly, holding her into his chest, "Did you have a nice sleep?" He asked her, "Huh?" He spoke in a child-like voice. He changed her diaper and put her in a clean baby grow. AJ had packed literally over twenty. She was the world's most prepared mom.

"You're wide awake this morning, baby." Punk noticed her wide little eyes, leaving the room and walking through to the living room where Nova was sitting, "You wanna feed her?" Punk asked as Nova nodded with a large smile.

Since her cast had come off, she was finally getting the chance to hold her sister properly, and had even fed her a few times. She really was great with her.

"Ok, you hold her carefully and I'll go make up a bottle for her." Punk said as Nova nodded, sitting back on the couch comfortably. Of course AJ and Punk had drilled all the rules and positioning to hold Maggie in to Nova.

She held out her arms as Punk placed Maggie down into them.

"Daddy why can't I have a baby of my own? How can you and mommy have a baby?" She asked as Punk shook his head.

"We've been over this." Punk said whilst making up Maggie's bottle in the small kitchen, "You have to be really, really, REALLY old to have a baby." He emphasised, "You're just a baby."

"I'm not a baby!" Nova snapped angrily, "I'm a big girl."

"You're a baby." Punk teased. He knew she just loved taking care of Maggie, helping feed her, play with her, watch her sleep, and she was still just young herself, questions like that always came up where he'd either have to divert himself around it, or answer carefully.

"I think I just want doggies when I'm old like you." Nova told him truthfully as Punk smiled to himself.

"That's an amazing idea." Punk nodded enthusiastically, "We should put that on writing somewhere." He said seriously as he finished making up Maggie's bottle.

"I want to have one like Ace." She said, looking over at Ace in his bed, "And maybe the spotty ones too." She nodded.

"Dalmation?" Punk asked her, walking back into the living room.

"Yeah. I like them." Nova smiled as he nodded, handing her Maggie's bottle, "Maggie it's time for breakfast." Nova announced, "Doesn't she get hungry cause she's only having a drink?" Nova noticed, not understanding why she wasn't having real food.

"Well she's little, so she can only have her bottle. That makes her nice and strong, helps her grow too, and then eventually she'll start eating food." He said, sitting beside her, keeping watch as Maggie took her bottle, "I think she likes when you give her it." He smiled to Nova.

"She does it's because she's my baby sister." Nova said, "She likes me better than you. Mommy says that I need to stick up for her and if she ever sneaks out without telling you I've to make up a lie to tell you." She smiled as Punk's face dropped.

"Oh, really? Mommy said that?" Punk asked, folding his arms.

"Yeah, she did." Nova said.

"Well, there will be no sneaking out for either of you." Punk warned, "Or you'll be grounded for life."

"You can't do that daddy." Nova giggled.

"I can and I will." Punk said as Nova just ignored him and continued to feed Maggie.

* * *

"So, what's this about you telling Nova she has to cover for Maggie if she ever sneaks out?" Punk asked, sitting on a picnic bench across from AJ down by the lake. Maggie was in her stroller beside them, and Nova was over by the lake where they could see her.

"I was just teasing." AJ shrugged, "You do realise when they become teenagers, it will be the three of us against you." She said as he laughed.

"Yeah, ok." He shook his head, laughing dramatically, "I'll get cages for you all."

"The man of my dreams." AJ smiled to him.

"Well don't encourage that type of stuff. There will be no sneaking out under my roof. That's the rules." He said as AJ just rolled her eyes.

"What are the rules again?" She asked.

"Ok, no boys, no boy talk, no sneaking out, no lying, no parties, no alcohol, no dying hair, no make-up…" He continued to go on as AJ yawned deliberately.

"So you want them to just sit in the apartment doing nothing for the rest of their lives?" AJ asked.

"That would be ideal. Jobs and dogs are ok." Punk said, "But that is where I cross the line."

"You have to let them live, or they'll go out their way to deliberately rebel against you." She said, "Trust me. I know how it works. I am among the species of females." She said, "And anyway, don't you want them to be happy? Find a love like ours one day?" She smiled.

"Hey, the only thing I want is for them to be happy, trust me." Punk said, "Guys are jerks. I'm scared that they'll get hurt and then I'll have to become a killer." He said dramatically.

"Not all guys are jerks. Don't be sweeping generalisation." She said, "You're not a jerk."

"I am a little." Punk nodded as she laughed.

"Eh, no one is perfect." She nodded, "Look, I don't think we need to worry about this right now. Nova is only five, and Maggie is fresh out of my womb. We're good just now." She smiled as he nodded, "But you can't always be this protective because they'll either become spoiled or they'll turn wild because daddy suffocated them." She eyed him, "But… you put me at ease with your erratic protecting because I know they'll be safe. Always." She smiled. They were joking around for the most part, but knowing that Punk would go to any lengths to protect both of their daughters was something she could relax on. He was a great father. The best.

"Mommy, the ducks are back can I give them my sandwich?" Nova ran over to her parents.

There were other people by the lake at different benches as there were other cabins around for renting, and of course the ducks had found their way to Nova and only Nova.

"Baby, your sandwich is for you." AJ shook her head.

"Aw but mommy they'll be hungry I can't not feed them." She said with a serious tone.

"Oh, alright. I guess you can get something from the store if you're hungry." AJ said, pulling out the sandwiches and handing her one.

"Daddy, come with me." Nova asked, "There's a full family and there's little baby ducks too." She said as AJ smiled, watching as Punk got up and headed down the lake where the ducks had gathered, as if waiting for Nova to feed them.

AJ watched as Punk and Nova fed the ducks, watching as Punk crouched down alongside Nova, talking to her as she broke off parts of the sandwich and fed them, watching Nova giggle and smile, which instantly made her smile.

Things were going well for them and their little family. It was about time they got a minute to breathe, and they'd picked a perfect spot to do so. Ace was laying down by the bench, Maggie was asleep in her stroller that she was lightly pushing back and forth to soothe her, and she watched with a permanent smile as Punk and Nova messed around over by the lake. She felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and joy. This was the attention they deserved to give themselves.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	58. An Idea

**An Idea**

* * *

" _Nova, where is your sister?" Punk asked, walking into nineteen-year-old Nova's bedroom where she was laying on her stomach on her bed, reading a magazine, "She's not in her room."_

" _I uh… I sent her out to get me chocolate." She waved her hand at him as he folded his arms, "I got cramp." She smirked up at him._

" _No no no, you can't make me feel awkward and send me away." Punk warned, stepping further into the room, "Your mom said she's been gone for an hour. Where is she travelling to for this chocolate?" Punk questioned._

" _Why are you so concerned?" Nova groaned, "She left to get me chocolate. She might have bumped into a few friends, I don't know." She shrugged, "You're suffocating her, dad. Big time." She said as Punk just rolled his eyes._

" _I'm not." Punk said, "She's fourteen. It's late. She shouldn't be out at this time." He said as Nova just shook her head and ignored him, turning the page on her magazine, "She could be in trouble."_

" _Just because you're a cop doesn't mean whenever we step out of the apartment, we're in trouble." Nova said, "Behave." She told him as Punk just folded his arms._

" _She's not involved with any boys, is she?" Punk asked as Nova looked up at him past her magazine._

" _If she was, I couldn't tell you. Sister code." She said._

" _What about father-daughter code?" Punk smiled._

" _What about, get out of my room?" Nova looked up at him as Punk scoffed, "Go take a Xanax and watch the hockey game." She said, turning onto her back and holding the magazine up above her as Punk just shook his head, leaving the room and closing the door behind him._

 _Punk walked out of Nova's room and headed straight out of the apartment, running down the block stairs and getting into his car._

 _He drove for only a few minutes until he finally came across a group of people standing outside a store, noticing his youngest daughter amongst them, spotting a boy standing beside her with his hand down the back of her jean pocket._

 _He stopped the car and got out, slamming the door shut behind him and approaching the group of people, watching as Maggie spotted him and immediately took the boys hand from inside her pocket out of it._

" _Hey, Maggie." Punk smiled cheerfully to his daughter._

" _What are you doing here?" Maggie gritted her teeth as Punk turned to the boy beside her. He was definitely older. Way too old to be anywhere near Maggie, never mind touching her._

" _What age are you?" Punk asked him calmly._

" _Man, who the fuck are you?" The boy laughed around to his friends as Punk immediately grabbed him by the neck of his t-shirt and pushed him against the wall outside the store._

" _Tell me your age." Punk demanded._

" _I'm 17, man. What the fuck is your problem?" The boy struggled against him._

" _And what age is Maggie?" Punk asked._

" _I-I don't know." The boy said, "But she's hot." He smirked as Punk immediately threw him down on the ground, beginning to beat the crap out of him until all he saw was red on his hands…_

"I think I just killed a teenager." Punk announced as he sat up on the couch, having been napping whilst AJ was making dinner, "Ape! I just killed a teenager." Punk said as AJ rushed in from the kitchen.

"What is it?" AJ shook her head.

"I killed a kid." Punk said as AJ raised her eyebrows, "He called Maggie hot and I killed him." He said as AJ began to smile once realising it was just a dream, "And Nova tried to cover for her. You see, this is why bad things happen when people lie." Punk said, standing up as AJ just shook her head.

"Well at least it's only a dream." AJ laughed a little, walking back into the kitchen as Punk followed, "I'm making fajitas, are you excited?" She asked him.

"I am!" Nova exclaimed from the kitchen table where she was drawing plenty of pictures. Maggie was napping in her travel crib in the living room. She and Punk actually fell asleep at the same time.

"You love mommy's fajitas, don't you baby?" AJ smiled over to Nova who nodded.

"I already smell burning." Punk teased as AJ just rolled her eyes, "I need to go hold Maggie and make sure no one calls her hot." He said, wandering back into the living room.

"She should be waking for her bottle anyway." AJ told him as he wandered off over to the crib, looking down into it as he saw Maggie lying awake.

"Hi, baby." Punk smiled, picking Maggie up into his arms, "I can't believe you made me kill a kid." He spoke to her, "You did. I'm blaming you." He said, walking back into the kitchen as AJ smiled over at Maggie who looked like she was still half-asleep.

"Hey, sleepy head." AJ smiled as she looked over at Maggie who was tucked into Punk's chest, "You wanna feed her? I'm just finishing up our dinner." She told Punk who nodded and joined Nova over at the table to feed Maggie. He hadn't been this grateful to have both his girls still small.

* * *

"Hey, Dean! It's just me." Renee announced as she walked into Dean's house with the key he had given her. She walked straight into the living room where Dean was sitting watching the TV, "Hey." She smiled to him as he looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey, how was work?" He asked her as she took off her suit jacket, throwing it on the opposite couch alongside her bag as she collapsed down beside him tiredly.

"Long." Renee groaned, collapsing against him, "What about you?" She asked him, playing with one of his curls.

"Boring." Dean nodded.

"Because AJ and Punk aren't there and Seth is off on holiday?" Renee questioned with a smile.

"Uh… no." Dean scoffed as Renee just smirked, "I just… I didn't expect either of them to be so distant for this long." He admitted.

"You did say some pretty mean shit about them. And their daughter." Renee said as Dean groaned.

For the past four weeks, he had been going over everything he had said to Punk and AJ, and he did feel like he maybe pushed it a little too far. Especially when he brought Nova into it. He was really sorry for that. But some of what he said, he stuck by.

"I know I'm a horrible person, I get it." Dean said, "I never meant for it to get so deep and personal. I really just wanted them to know about how I felt." He said as Renee just nodded, playing with the bottom of his hair like she always done.

"You've just been having a rough couple of weeks." Renee said, "I get it. More than anyone. Sometimes you just wanna… drink it all away until you pass out. But you've been so strong. And whatever is going on with you, Punk and AJ, it can be resolved I'm sure. I mean, you're best friends."

"I stand by what I said, Renee." Dean nodded, "They put too much into their work, so much that things go home with them, and seep into their personal lives." He said.

"But implying that they put their job before their daughters was wrong. You know that, right?" Renee said as he just nodded, "You don't think you're just… not quite over those four years? I mean, Phil is like your brother and I couldn't imagine having to get used to the idea that he's gone forever and then… he shows up one day." Renee said, "And I'm sure Punk understands that it wasn't easy for you. For any of you. I don't think it was all that easy for him." She admitted.

"I know that." Dean nodded. He'd had a lot of time to think, and he knew a lot of what he said was unfair on both AJ and Punk, and he knew he did have to apologise for some of what he said, but other things he said he truly meant it, and he meant it as their friends. He didn't enjoy seeing them in pain, or seeing bad things happen to them. He was really just trying to mean well, but his anger and his frustration got the better of him.

"You guys need to talk when they get back." Renee nodded, "You just need to sit down and talk it out." She said as Dean nodded.

"Everyone else seems to have just… accepted that he's back now but I still can't believe it." Dean said, "You go through losing someone you love like that, and then for them to just… show up." He sighed, "I still can't wrap my head around it." He admitted truthfully.

"That's normal." Renee said, "I mean, you all thought he was gone forever. I can't imagine how that would have felt."

"We fucking buried him. We had a funeral. We were in the hospital." Dean shook his head, "It was all so real and… I just can't forget about it."

"No one is asking you to." Renee said, "You have to tell Punk this is how you feel, instead of both of you squabbling like cats. And you really should apologise to AJ, I mean… as far as I know, she helped you more than anyone." She said as Dean nodded.

"She did." Dean said, "Things have just been messed up. For the longest time." He sighed.

"Well it's time it gets cleared up. AJ and Punk are gonna need their best friends by their side for these trials in a few months." She said as Dean nodded.

He did feel bad for most of the things he had said about Punk and AJ. He got lost in the moment, but he did feel strongly about how wrecked he still felt from Punk's four year absence. He'd had a tough time. Losing his job, having an unhealthy alcohol addiction, many sleepless lonely nights, losing his house. He didn't blame Punk by any means, but he just couldn't understand why everyone else was already over it. Was it because they all had other things to think about? He didn't know. But he knew they all had to talk it out sooner rather than later.

* * *

"So what was this dream actually about?" AJ asked, clearing the dinner plates from the small table whilst Nova had rushed off into the living room to watch TV, and Maggie was back down in her crib after her last feed.

"I beat up a kid. Maybe killed him." Punk shook his head, "That's because of all this talk about Nova and Maggie getting older." He nodded.

"You realise you can't actually do that if you did find yourself in that situation." She laughed a little.

"I won't be able to help myself. The world is scary. I need to make sure both of them don't ever come across any thugs or jerks or bad guys." Punk said.

"As touching as it is, you have to let them experience things for themselves, so they can learn from it." AJ told him, "Look at me. I wouldn't be who I am today if I hadn't gone through all the crap that I have." She said.

"I refuse to watch them get hurt just because it'll help them learn for the future." Punk shook his head, "They need to be ready for the world." He said, drying the dishes whilst AJ washed.

"Well actually, I wanted to talk to you about something." She said as Punk turned to her, "You remember when David said that Nova should maybe take up a hobby or a sport? To help with her therapy and stuff?" She asked.

"Ah yes, David my lover." Punk nodded, "I remember." He said as AJ just smiled.

"Well, Eve told me that Danny is back in Chicago." She smiled as Punk shook his head.

"Danny?" Punk shook his head with confusion.

"Danny King." AJ said in an obvious tone.

"Oh, hell no, AJ." Punk shook his head immediately.

"You haven't let me finish." AJ said, "You remember how good he was when we done that crash circuit course? And all the self defence classes? Right?" She said.

"No. I remember how good he was with you. He used to give you more bending over stretches than us because he liked staring at your ass." He rolled his eyes as AJ just laughed.

"That is not true." AJ said.

"April, I was there. Front row seat." Punk said.

"Well anyway, I'd like to take Nova to him. Self-defence could be great for her, and for your own conscience." She said as Punk shook his head.

"Nope. She's not going to him." Punk shook his head.

"Oh, Phil. Stop it." AJ said, "She'll have fun. We used to have a lot of fun with those classes." She reminded him.

In their early days of being cops, they used to have a personal trainer type guy, Danny, who would help them with their training skills, even though both their academy's that they attended had taught them everything they needed to know, Danny helped them stay on top of things and taught them knew things. Punk had to admit, they did have a lot of fun, and it reminded him of the good old days with AJ, Dean, Seth, Rocky and Eve, but he did remember the unnecessary attachment that Danny had towards AJ.

"Nova doesn't need self-defence. She's a kid." Punk said.

"She'd have fun. You know she would. She loves whenever fights breakout in the hockey games. And it might be a good way for her to relieve whatever nerves she has about Bray, and everything that happened." AJ shrugged, "I just thought it was a good idea."

"It is." Punk nodded in agreement, "It is a good idea. But… I don't know if it's right. Teaching our kid how to fight when she's only five."

"She's nearly six." AJ said, "And plus, it's not fighting, it's just a little bit of self-defence. We can go along with her. Make it a family thing." She said, drying her hands and wrapping them around his neck, "You can show Danny that we made a beautiful little girl together." She smirked up at him, "If it makes you feel better about all the staring he done all those years ago." She said as Punk smiled to himself.

"You know, that might just make me feel better." Punk smiled, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss on her lips.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	59. Stretching Out

**Stretching Out**

* * *

Punk and AJ eventually got home from their long weekend away. It had been great to have some private time not only with their daughter's but also as a couple too. When the girls went to sleep, they had some of their own private time to enjoy the cabin they had rented out, as well as the bedroom of course.

They felt it was a breath of fresh air to get out of the apartment, and Nova loved every bit of it.

They'd only been home for a few hours when there was a knock at their apartment door.

"Phil, can you get that?" AJ asked Punk whilst feeding Maggie in her arms and keeping an eye on dinner. Punk had been sitting beside Nova at the kitchen table catching up on work. Although he was on leave, he still had to be sent different letters, and he still had to be notified of what was going on.

He neglected the papers at the table and walked over to the apartment door, opening it up as he saw Dean standing with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey." Dean nodded.

"Hi." Punk said suspiciously.

Both of them stared at each other for a few minutes before Dean spoke up, "Can I come in?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, opening up the door wider and letting him in, closing the door behind him as Dean walked around into the kitchen as AJ noticed him.

"April." Dean nodded formally as AJ just nodded back, "I'm sorry to interrupt dinner time but I… I just wanted to come as soon as you guys got back." He told them.

"Nova, why don't you go over to the couch and watch some TV?" Punk suggested as Nova just nodded and rushed over to the couch where Ace was lying, "You're not interrupting." Punk shook his head turning back to Dean whilst AJ watched, continuing to feed Maggie.

"I guess I just wanted to come and apologise for the things I had said to you both." Dean said, "Some of it was uncalled for and I only said it in the heat of the moment. I should never have brought Nova into it. I'm embarrassed with myself that I did." He admitted truthfully, "And saying that you brought everything on yourselves was unfair." He nodded as Punk and AJ watched him.

"It hurt us to hear you say that." AJ told him, "You're our best friend. We needed your support." She reminded him, placing Maggie's bottle down as she began to burp her.

"I know, and I feel like I let you guys down." Dean said, "But I stand by some of what I said. I'm still trying to get over those four years. I… I lost myself in those four years. And I can't just get over them. Just like I'm sure you guys can't either." He said, "For all of that to happen, and then for you to just show up, and for everything to return to normal when we were all trying so hard to live a life without you…" He said, speaking to Punk directly, "It was tough, and I struggled." He said.

"We all did. One way or another." Punk said, "I wasn't having a party in Mexico whilst you guys were all here crying. Believe me." He nodded, "I was locked in a house for four years. I had no idea if you guys were ok. I had no idea what my daughter even looked like." He said, "We all struggled, Dean."

"And I did not abandon Nova." AJ made clear to him as Dean nodded.

"It was wrong for me to say that. It came out in anger." He told her, "And I apologise. I know how much you held onto Nova in those four years. But… they weren't easy for any of us, at least we can agree on that." He said.

"Once these trials are over, we can start to recover from those four years." Punk said, "I guess we never really got the time to, as soon as I came back it was just one thing after another, and I can see why you're still having a hard time with accepting what happened." Punk nodded, "But we can work together at this. We don't have to fight." He shook his head.

"I've just been off these past few weeks." He said, "And I didn't want to hurt you both. You're two of my best friends." He sighed as Punk nodded.

"We just want to move on." Punk said, "We're gonna need all the support we can get for these trials in a few months, and after that, things can start going back to normal again." Punk nodded, "And we can start healing from those four years." He said as AJ nodded in agreement, rubbing Maggie's back gently as she was tucked into her chest.

"We're not obsessed with our jobs, Dean." AJ said, "We would never put that before the girls. We just enjoy the work, and doing the right thing. We always have done." AJ said, "Just because we love our jobs doesn't mean that's why all this shit has happened to us." She said.

"I know. I knew that was wrong of me to say." Dean said.

"And hey…" Punk said, "Maybe I've not been considering what it was really like for you guys whilst I was gone. I mean… at least I knew you guys were probably ok here… you all thought I was dead." Punk said, "And that had to be really difficult, so difficult that… you lost a lot of things." He looked at Dean, "But I'm here for you. I'm here to help you. I'm here to talk if you want to talk." Punk said, "I'm still the same guy I've always been." He promised as Dean just nodded, "And I don't want to fight with you. It's pointless." He said.

"I don't want to fight with you either." Dean nodded, "I just want things to be better, you know." He looked down at the ground as Punk nodded.

He hadn't really considered just how hard it had been for Dean. It had really hit him hard. So hard he looked like he'd lost himself a little. But that didn't mean they had to fight. If anything, Punk wanted to be there for him even more, to help him get through this tough time, and whatever demons he still had to face.

"Come here." Punk nodded, holding out his arms as Dean looked up, walking over to him as they embraced each other tightly, "Nothing is going to come between us, ok?" Punk said, holding Dean at the back of his head as they shared a tight embrace as AJ smiled softly.

"I just want things to get better." Dean whispered to him as Punk nodded.

"They will." Punk promised, hugging him tightly. Although both were the same age, he always felt like Dean was his little brother that he had to look out for. It had always felt that way. They had always been brothers. Not just friends.

"Stay for dinner, Dean." AJ nodded as Punk and Dean broke apart from their embrace, "There's plenty there." She said as Dean looked across at her, "Please." She smiled as he nodded.

"Ok." Dean smiled to them.

* * *

Dean wound up staying for dinner with AJ and Punk, and Nova of course. All of them were glad to have put whatever that was going on behind them. It was clear for AJ and Punk to see that Dean wasn't himself, and was still struggling with the demons he had collected during the four years Punk had been gone. They wanted to help him as much as he'd allow them to, they always had, and Dean always knew they would help him, he was just using anger as a coping mechanism to all the stress he was feeling.

"Did you have a nice weekend?" He asked them, "Seth told me you guys were away." He said, after all clearing their plates. Nova had gone back over to the couch to finish watching her movie after eating her dinner, and Maggie had been put down in her crib after being fed and changed.

"Yeah, it was great." AJ smiled, "It was nice to get away for the few days." She nodded, "I guess I should apologise for slapping you." She nodded as Dean just waved his hand, "It wasn't fair for me to put my hands on you but…. I just snapped, and I hadn't been in the best of places as it was." She admitted, "I'm sorry."

"I deserved it." Dean said, "I should never have brought the girls into it. That was a low blow and I really didn't mean it." He said to them both. They could see how sorry he was about it, "Everything has just been moving so quickly since you got back." He looked at Punk, "It's been so hard to keep up." He admitted as they nodded.

"I know how you feel." Punk nodded, "It was one thing to get over me being back, and everything with those fraud agents and Billy but… then everything that happened with those two freaks and Ape and Maggie." Punk said, "It's been crazy." He nodded.

"I've just wanted to drink." Dean admitted to them both, "So many times. It seems like the better option." He nodded.

"I guarantee you it isn't." Punk nodded, "Are you still going to counselling?" He asked. He wanted to take a further interest in Dean's drinking problems. He felt like he hadn't gotten the chance to, and that made him feel bad.

"Yeah. Me and Renee go together. It's good like that." He nodded, "She helps me a lot." He admitted.

"She has the same problems?" Punk asked.

"More or less." Dean nodded, "Her parents were both alcoholics. She always said she wouldn't be like them, and she wasn't, until she became a lawyer. The stress made her drink and she just… couldn't stop it." He said.

"It's good you can both understand each other on that level." AJ pointed out, "She'll know how you're feeling and vice versa." She said as Dean nodded. He had missed this. He had missed his friends, and suddenly he began to wonder why they were even fighting.

"Yeah, it is good that way. We get through it together. She'll have bad days that I'll help her through, and then I'll have bad days that she helps me through." He said, "It's a good relationship."

"That's good, man. It's rare that you'll find someone who understands anything you're going through, especially on that level." Punk nodded.

"I know things will get better." Dean said, "Once everything goes back to normal. I think the chaos of everything triggered me a little. Made me want to just down a bottle of jack and black out." He said truthfully, "But things feel calmer now." He nodded.

"And it'll get better." AJ assured him, "We just have to be here for each other. Like we always have been." She nodded to them both.

"Yeah." Dean smiled, "Thanks for bypassing me being a douche." He nodded to them both.

"We're not all innocent either." Punk said, "Let's just agree to put it all behind us." He said as Dean nodded, "Get back to the way things used to be."

"Yeah." Dean smiled as Nova appeared back at the table.

"So, when is the ice-cream coming?" She asked, standing at the end of the table as they all looked at her, "My film is on a break right now so…" She blinked cutely at Punk.

"So you want it right now?" Punk asked.

"Yes please." Nova nodded, "I don't wanna miss the end of my movie, daddy, and mommy says I'll have to get a bath once it's finished and then I'll be in bed and there will be no room for ice-cream." She sighed dramatically as Dean chuckled a little, "Why are you laughing, uncle Dean? What's funny?" She asked him adamantly, kneeling up on the chair beside him to look further into his eyes. She had those same soulful eyes as her mother, those eyes that would terrifying culprits in an interview room, eyes that stared right into his soul.

"Uh… nothing." Dean smiled.

"You're strange then." Nova concluded, jumping back down from the chair, "Daddy, please." She sighed.

"Oh, alright alright." Punk groaned, "I'll bring it over, go." He shoo'd her away with his hand as she grinned and ran back over to the couch as Punk cleared their own plates and headed to the freezer for the ice-cream.

"She'll definitely be a detective when she's older." Dean nodded as AJ smiled, "She's got the eyes for it."

"She'll soon have the skill for it too, thanks to AJ." Punk grumbled as AJ rolled her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Dean turned to AJ.

"Danny King is back in Chicago." AJ told him.

"Get out." Dean gasped, "Danny as in, the guy whose eyes used to pop out of his head whenever you stretched in front of him?" Dean asked.

"Yes, that Danny." Punk answered.

"He did not." AJ said, "You're just being dramatic." She rolled her eyes, "Anyway, Eve got in contact with him. She's been trying to lose her baby weight and wanted to go to a PT but she heard Danny was back and decided it'd be fun to take up some of his classes again. I thought I'd take Nova along, he could show her a little bit of self-defence. Her therapist said taking up a hobby or sport, keeping her active, would help a lot in her recovery process." AJ said.

"Those classes were fun." Dean recalled, "Especially for Danny whenever you showed up." He teased to AJ.

"He's probably married now with kids of his own." AJ shook her head, "Don't you think it'll be good for Nova? And for us? I do feel a little out of shape in the physical side of my job." She admitted. Of course as cops, they had to be trained physically, an although they had been trained at their academy's, Danny showed them a little more complex skills, as well as having them doing circuit training. Despite the teasing, AJ knew they all loved the classes.

"I think it's a great idea." Dean nodded, "It'd be good for relieving whatever stress Nova has." Dean nodded whilst Punk walked off to give her ice-cream.

"That's exactly what I thought." AJ smiled, "I think Nova will have a great time. And I know it'll make me feel better knowing she knows a few tricks to get out of… any situations she might find herself in. And it might make her feel better too." AJ said.

"Have you set a date?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, we're gonna go tomorrow." AJ nodded, "I'm excited." She smiled. She was excited to introduce Nova to a little part of their work in a way, and she was also excited to relieve some stress of her own.

"I bet Danny is excited too." Dean smirked as Punk walked over to them.

"Yeah, I bet he is." He chimed in.

"You two are the worst." AJ groaned as they just laughed.

* * *

The next day, everything that Punk was dreading had happened, and they were taking Nova to the back of the station where training went on for the cops beside the shooting range. Maggie had come along in her stroller, but of course, would not be taking part.

As soon as they walked into the small gym type room, Danny went straight for AJ.

"Mendez, check you out." Danny gasped as he approached them. He was of course a picture-perfect guy with muscles everywhere, a dimpled smile and streaks in his hair. Otherwise known as, the complete opposite of Punk.

"It's so good to see you again." AJ smiled, "I thought you were living in Dubai for another few years." AJ said, embracing Danny whilst Punk stood with his arms folded behind, Nova standing with him looking around.

Seth and Eve were already there and had been training together, and Punk saw at the corner of his eye both of them messing with him. Eve was pretending to stretch over whilst Seth was behind shadow thrusting into her, mocking Danny of course and the unnecessary love he had for AJ.

Punk just shook his head and blocked Nova's view from their terrible behaviour whilst Danny and AJ spoke.

"You look so good, especially after having two kids." Danny gasped, "You've not aged, I swear." He said as AJ smiled, "Brooks, I didn't even see you there." Danny chuckled lightly as Punk faked a smile, "Nice to see you again, man." He extended his hand as Punk shook it tightly.

"You too." Punk faked.

"And who is this?" Danny smiled down at Nova who grabbed onto Punk's side, "This must be the next best detective in all of Chicago." He smirked as Nova just looked up at him wearily, "I'm Danny." He introduced himself.

"I'm tired." Nova said truthfully as Punk laughed a little.

"Well you'll be even more tired after this." Danny smiled, "I'm gonna teach you some self-defence and you're gonna love it. I know your mom did." He said as Punk rolled his eyes.

"I'm just gonna sit over there with Maggie." Punk pointed to where Seth and Eve were.

"You don't wanna join in?" AJ asked him with her hands on her hips.

"Not just now." Punk told her, taking hold of Maggie's stroller whilst Nova hid over behind her mother whilst Punk wandered away with Maggie. There were other cops training in the room, so it wasn't just them alone in a tiny space, which made Punk feel better, but as he saw AJ began to take her zipper off, wearing nothing but a sports bra and leggings, he immediately wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

"How does she look like that in a sports bra, seven weeks after giving birth?" Eve asked Punk, "Tyler is almost 7 months and I'm still struggling." She folded her arms.

"You're beautiful." Seth kissed her cheek.

"She squats when she makes dinner, if that helps." Punk shrugged, taking a seat beside them as Eve downed a bottle of water, "You been here long?" He asked them.

"Few hours." Seth nodded.

"Where is Ty?" Punk asked them.

"Rocky's got him for the afternoon." Seth said, "I heard you and Dean buried the hatchet last night." He said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, we're putting all of it behind us. He needs our help and we need his. No point in fighting." Punk said.

"I'm glad. I didn't like being in the middle." Seth admitted truthfully, "We could all use each other's help right now." He said as Punk nodded in agreement, looking on as Danny spoke to Nova, gaining her trust slowly but surely. Nova was definitely keen to try things and she loved sport at school, so he wasn't worried about her. In fact, he was more so keeping his eyes on AJ.

"Why you not joining in?" Seth asked Punk.

"I just want to spectate for now." Punk said as Eve shook her head.

"Oh, there he goes." Seth laughed to himself, watching as AJ began to stretch herself out and Danny's eyes followed her as she done so.

"Just kill me." Punk shook his head in a groan, "Why is he even back here?" He asked them both.

"He said Dubai got boring." Eve rolled her eyes.

"Yeah boring without all that AJ ass." Seth chuckled as Punk pushed him off the bench, causing a scene as Danny looked over, where all three of them faked a smile and waved.

"April wants to come once a week." Punk groaned as Seth sat back on the bench, "I can't watch this once a week."

"Then don't. Go do some ironing or something." Eve said.

"I only came here to watch AJ choke him out." Punk said truthfully, "And despite everything, I think Nova will enjoy it." He nodded.

They continued to watch as Danny went through some techniques with AJ and Nova. It was more so for Nova, but AJ was happy to join in and work with Nova, especially when she knew Punk wouldn't be comfortable with Danny man-handling Nova right in front of him, it was better she partnered with her daughter.

Punk did enjoy watching AJ and Nova have some fun rolling around, and he did see AJ pull a few fast ones on Danny which made him smile. She still hadn't lost her quick skills, but man, Danny annoyed him.

"Why don't you join in and choke him out?" Seth asked.

"Don't tempt me, honestly." Punk warned, "I'll join in next week. I ate a lot of pizza at the weekend I'm getting a dad belly." He admitted, patting his stomach.

"Intimidated?" Eve asked him.

"No." Punk scoffed, watching as Nova was playing around with Danny, watching as Nova had her arms locked around his neck, "That's my girl!" Punk yelled and stood up, clapping loudly as other cops in the room turned around, including AJ who was shaking her head.

Eve pulled him back down, "Behave." She hissed at him as Seth sniggered.

It was fun to watch Nova have fun with AJ and learn new things, and she did seem excited about the full thing, he just didn't know if he could deal with Danny.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	60. Jealous

**Jealous**

* * *

"Baby, you like mac and cheese, why aren't you eating your dinner?" AJ asked, sitting next to Nova at the dinner table whilst Punk sat across, almost finished his dinner just as AJ and Nova had begun.

"I'm not hungry, mommy." Nova shook her head, wrapping her arms around her lower stomach.

"Not even for a little bit?" Punk asked her as the near six-year-old shook her head, "You got a sore tummy?" He asked.

"I'm just not hungry." Nova told them. Sometimes when it came to dinner time, she just didn't want to eat anything, David, her therapist reckoned that it was still to do with everything that was going on with her, even though she was making terrific process. Sometimes she'd just a sandwich later on if she felt like it. AJ and Punk didn't push to eat if she didn't want it.

"More for me then." Punk smiled to her as Nova laughed a little.

"When are we next seeing Uncle Danny?" Nova smiled to her mother as Punk raised a brow.

"Uncle?" Punk said as AJ nodded to him.

"He was getting her to call him uncle." AJ explained.

"Well… he's not, so… doesn't make sense." Punk said as AJ just rolled her eyes. It had been a week since AJ and Nova's class with Danny again down at the station, and Nova was so hyped for the next session. She kept implying that she felt like wonder woman when she left, and although Punk had a hard time watching it with Danny, he did enjoy the happy hormones it was releasing in AJ, as well as the happy nature in Nova too.

"In a few days." AJ told her, "Are you excited to go back?" AJ smiled as Nova nodded with excitement.

It felt like weeks were getting easier and easier as they went by, but AJ knew in the back of her mind that it was all leading up to the trials in just a few short months, where she would have to be met with the faces that tried to steal her baby girl from her. It was a hard thought, but she was trying to move forward, and do things which improved not only her health but also her families, especially little Nova who needed a lot of attention after what she had been through.

"Maybe I'll join in next time you guys go." Punk smirked to AJ.

"I don't want to embarrass you in front of your daughter." AJ smiled a little as Punk scoffed.

"Yeah, right." Punk said, "I'll have to take it easy on you." He said as AJ just rolled her eyes.

"Can I go watch some TV?" Nova asked them both, uninterested in the playful bickering between her parents.

"You sure you can't manage just a little bit of dinner?" AJ asked her again.

"No, I can't." Nova told her seriously.

"But you'll have a sandwich or something later, yeah? You can't go to bed on an empty stomach." She said, caressing her cheek softly.

"Ok." Nova nodded, "Can I go?" She asked longingly.

"Mhm." AJ nodded, watching as Nova jumped off the seat and ran over to the couch with Ace to watch the TV, "I'm worried about her not eating." She turned to Punk who had slid Nova's plate over and began eating at it.

"It's only every now and then she gets fussy. Kids her age are like that." Punk shrugged, "All I used to eat for dinner was these chicken aeroplane things when I was a kid." He said, "I guess that was all mom would make for us come to think about it." He admitted.

"Gabrielle used to cook for us when she got old enough. She showed me all these amazing recipes. She was a great cook." AJ nodded, turning back over to look at Nova, "I just don't like when she doesn't eat, I feel like it's because she's worrying. That's what David said, she could be thinking of what happened to her and that's why she loses her appetite."

"She's ok. She's doing great. David said so himself. She's actually talking about what happened, and how it made her feel. That's a big step forward from where she was a few weeks ago." Punk nodded.

"I know." AJ smiled, "I'll make her a sandwich later, I don't want her to sleep on an empty stomach." She shook her head as Punk nodded, "Are you really gonna join in with us when we go see Danny again?" She asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Punk shrugged, "I get why you're doing this for Nova. To give her a little hobby, and to give her a little bit of self-defence… but, what's in it for you?" Punk wondered with a smirk, "What are you getting out of classes that you've already taken?" He asked.

"Well I feel a bit rusty." AJ admitted, "And it's a good way to release stress. I'd rather have fun with my daughter than go to a gym filled with old men trying to bench too much just to impress everyone around them." She rolled her eyes, "And I've always liked Danny. Despite what you think of him, he's a nice guy." AJ said.

"Too nice." Punk warned, "I didn't know you felt rusty." Punk shook his head.

"Yeah, well I've been out of the game for a few months, and even before that, those four years you were gone, I wasn't doing much physical work. I can't remember the last time I was on a chase… the physical side of it." AJ admitted, "I just want to oil my hinges and get back into feeling comfortable in my position." She said.

"Good." Punk smiled, "Despite all the Danny jokes, I'm happy that you're finding positivity in it. And it's a good bonding experience for you and Nova. And knowing she knows a little bit of self-defence really helps me out too." Punk admitted as AJ nodded.

"All we gotta do is get Maggie joined in and we're good to go." AJ joked as Punk nodded.

"Speaking of." Punk stood up, looking over the couch where Maggie lay in the centre of the floor in her little play mat, having fallen fast asleep, "She's quite happy over there." He smiled, sitting back down.

"She's such a good baby. We've been blessed." AJ nodded.

"Too good." Punk said suspiciously, "She's gonna be a wild kid. I can feel it. Just like my dream." Punk nodded.

"You and your dreams." AJ shook her head as Punk just smiled.

"Finished?" He asked her as she nodded, "Go sit over with the girls, I'll clear up." He told her as she smiled, handing him her plate as he piled them up and took them over to wash them and clear up whilst AJ headed over to Nova on the couch.

There had been a lot of quiet nights in the apartment. In a way, they were giving themselves therapy in their own ways. Spending so much time, just the four of them, was so therapeutic, especially for AJ and Punk. Just that feeling of being together was the best, and especially now that everything with Dean had been cleared up.

"Maggie is waking up." Nova noticed, walking over to her sister and kneeling down beside the mat as Maggie began to open her eyes, shifting her little head around as she wriggled her legs and arms. She was now two months old, and growing bit by bit every day.

"She'll be wanting her last feed soon." AJ smiled, watching as Nova knelt beside Maggie, giving her kisses on her forehead and stroking her cheek, "You're such a good sister, Nova." AJ smiled. There was nothing more special than seeing her daughter's together. She knew what it meant to have a sister, and she was so glad Nova and Maggie would have that tight bond like she and her own sister had.

"I know I am." Nova said, "I'm the best sister." She smiled proudly, sitting back up and drifting her eyes towards the TV, getting startled when Maggie let out a cry, "Oh, you scared me, Maggie." Nova giggled.

"I'll get her bottle." Punk announced from across the open in the kitchen as AJ nodded.

"Why does she always cry so loud?" Nova questioned, holding her hands to her ears dramatically.

"You were even louder." AJ told her, "She's just a baby, that's her way of telling us she needs something." She said, standing up and walking over to lift up Maggie from the mat to get her ready for her bottle.

There was a calm in their apartment that had never been there before, a calm they needed and deserved.

* * *

A few days later, AJ and Punk had taken Nova to one of Danny's classes again. Maggie was spending the day with Dan so that AJ and Punk could both take part in the class. Like the last time, there were other cops training in the room, in fact it was pretty full, and the shooting range was just next door where gunshots could be heard continuously.

Punk spent most of his time with Nova, letting her pretty much topple him the entire time. At one point, she had him on his knees in a headlock. She was quite the little demon when it came to her fists and speed. She was like AJ in that respect.

"You're still as good as I remember, April." Danny smiled whilst AJ had gone over to a space on her own to practise some of her own things.

"No, I'm a little rusty." AJ said modestly, "A lot rusty actually." She nodded as Danny scoffed.

"No way. You're just as good as you were all those years ago." He smiled, "I never knew you and Brooks were… interested in each other." He admitted, looking over at Nova and Punk where Nova was sitting on Punk's back as he lay on his stomach, rolling around and practising the very simple skills Danny had taught her on Punk. Of course she was still so young, so it really only was a few kicks and holds.

"We weren't back then." AJ said, "You couldn't have predicted it. No one did, I don't think." AJ shrugged, "Things just happened. Fell into the right place at the right time." AJ nodded.

"That's just what it is? Right place, right time?" Danny asked her.

"Well he's more than that. I have two kids with him. We're not fooling around or anything." AJ laughed a little.

"Oh, I know. I just never thought you'd get with someone in the same field of work." He said.

"Sometimes we do clash but… we always work it out." She nodded.

"Good." Danny smiled, "And I heard about what happened with your youngest daughter. That's just awful." He said, "No one ever deserves that. They should be locked away forever." He said as AJ nodded in agreement.

"Well fingers crossed." AJ smiled, "We're just trying to get back on our feet now. Taking one day at a time." She said.

"Is that why you wanted to take a few classes with me again? I can tell it wasn't Phil's idea." He laughed a little.

"I just felt a little rusty, and I also wanted Nova to take up a hobby or a sport, even if it is just coming here once a week. And I feel like we're introducing her to a little part of our work, I guess." AJ shrugged, turning back over and smiling as she watched Punk show Nova some new things.

"Well she's a quick learner, and she's got a good grip on her already." Danny said, "Definitely your kid." He smiled.

Meanwhile Punk was across the room with Nova. She really did have a death grip, but he enjoyed rolling around with her, and teaching some useful skills, perhaps some were a little unnecessary but they had been over the rules with her, that she only used the skills whenever she was in danger, and not at school or anywhere else. She was good at listening to rules, so AJ and Punk trusted her.

"Ok, so behind…" Punk said, kneeling behind her as she stood in front with her back to him, having to kneel down most of the time so she could work at his level, "I'm behind, I cross my arm over around your neck then what?" Punk asked her as Nova quickly grabbed his arm and twisted it around.

"And then I pull you over flat onto your back!" Nova exclaimed excitedly, tugging on Punk's twisted arm as he rolled over on his head, collapsing on his back as Nova then piled on top of him, frog splashing him as he laughed, "And then you do this!" She giggled.

"I think you've winded me." Punk groaned whilst laughing.

"Again again!" Nova smiled, standing back up as Punk got back up to his knees, turning over to AJ where he saw her standing with Danny laughing and smiling. He was sure they were just making casual conversation, but for some reason it just rubbed him the wrong way, and he didn't like the way he put his hand on her arm every time she laughed. Things just seemed a little too close for comfort.

"Daddy! C'mon!" Nova said as Punk just shook his head, turning away from AJ and Danny.

"Ok, go again." Punk nodded getting into place again.

* * *

 **A/N: Someone is a jealous ellis! REVIEW and let me know what you think!**


	61. In Training

**In Training**

* * *

"What was Danny saying that was so funny today?" Punk asked later on that night after putting Nova to bed and giving Maggie her last feed before putting her down in her crib again, joining AJ over at the couch where she was sitting.

"What do you mean?" AJ asked.

"Seemed like he was telling a lot of funny stories." Punk took a dig, sitting down next to her.

"He wasn't." AJ shook her head with confusion, "Phil, the man is allowed to have a conversation with me, you know." She said.

"I didn't say he wasn't, but I don't… I don't like the way he looks at you. It's like he doesn't believe we're actually together." He said.

"He's just making casual conversation. What would you rather I do? Ignore him?" AJ asked.

"Yes." Punk nodded as AJ just shook her head, "It would be a different story if it was me stretching out with another woman, and joking around." He said.

"I wouldn't get jealous." AJ shrugged, "I'd have nothing to worry about, and you have nothing to worry about with Danny. He's just a polite guy who likes talking." She said.

"Do you think he's attractive?" Punk asked her curiously.

"No." AJ shook her head, "I only find you attractive." She smiled, flicking his chin playfully, "Don't be silly. Don't listen to Seth and Dean and all their jokes. Do you honestly think I would do anything behind your back to hurt you?" She asked him. She couldn't understand why he got so uptight about her and Danny talking. Their relationship was solid as a rock, and jealousy wasn't a thing she thought he had.

"I know you wouldn't." Punk nodded, "I just… I get a bad feeling in my stomach every time I see you with him. I feel like he's preying on you." He shook his head in a huff.

"Well he's not." AJ assured him, "C'mon, don't make this weird. Nova is really enjoying the classes. I'm really enjoying it." She admitted. And Punk knew that she was. It was a good way for her to get any stress out, and he knew that a part of her felt like she was back at work in some way.

"I know you are." Punk smiled, playing with a strand of her hair, "I'm glad you and Nova are having fun. And you heard David, it's helping Nova too." He nodded.

"I know. I'm so glad." AJ smiled, resting her head back on the couch, "I just want these trials to be over, Phil." She admitted with a sigh as he nodded. Although their family had come a long way since the incident with baby Maggie almost being taken from them, the thought of the trials coming up soon was still on their minds of course.

"Me too, baby." Punk nodded, massaging her head softly, "They'll come and go quickly. We just gotta keep doing what we're doing. Focusing on us and the girls. It's been working out for us so far." He said as AJ nodded.

"You've been so patient with us." AJ turned her head to look at him, "Thank you." She smiled

"All I want is for my girls to be happy. All three of you." Punk said, "As long as you're all happy, then I am too." He smiled.

"I think Nova enjoyed beating you up today." AJ smiled to him.

"She jumped on me so much I think she bruised my ribs." Punk admitted whilst laughing, "She's got a grip." He added.

"She does." AJ smiled proudly, "And she's having fun with it. It's so good to see her laughing and smiling. And her therapy is going well too." AJ nodded. Nova had always been both of their biggest worries. When she started having her nightmares, and she wouldn't go to school, and she would throw up randomly, having all the symptoms of sever PTSD, both of them were heartbroken, but helping their daughter back to good health again was the best thing they'd ever done. Being able to see her laugh and smile again, and not be afraid or worried. They knew they'd come up against many situations like that raising both their girls, but they were always the main priority, and they would have done anything to make them both healthy and happy.

"Yeah, she's came a long way." Punk smiled, "What about you? How are you feeling?" He asked her.

"I'm ok." AJ nodded, "I don't feel as isolated as I did anymore. Going out for a few hours to the station to train has been really good for me I think." AJ said, "What about you?" She rubbed the top of his hand softly before intertwining her fingers into his, "Are you ok?" She smiled, "I mean, besides thinking Danny is gonna steal me away from you." She teased.

"Not funny." Punk said but with a smile, "I'm ok." Punk nodded to her, "Like you said, I want the trials to be over so we can really move on. Maybe I can get back to work, we can really start to get back to normal life."

"And start to mend from those four years you were away." AJ added, "I guess we never really got the chance to." She admitted, "Would you believe that it still feels surreal that you're even here? After all this time." She said. He had been home for nearly a year now, but AJ still couldn't believe it. It was still overwhelming, and they hadn't really gotten that chance to mend from those four years apart.

"Well you thought I was dead and gone for four years. I can't imagine how surreal it feels." He nodded, "But we'll get there." He smiled to her, "We'll get to where we were before." He nodded as she smiled, leaning over and pressing a soft kiss on his lips as he kissed back softly, lifting her up from the couch with him and heading off into the bedroom, lips still attached and hands roaming each other's bodies.

* * *

"She's good." Dean nodded, sitting on a bench in the training room beside Punk whilst Danny was helping Nova and AJ with some things, "Future little detective in the making." He said as Punk chuckled and nodded.

"Well she'll have to fight AJ for the position." Punk said as Dean laughed, "I hate the way he fucking looks at her. He looks at her like she's single. Like he wants to ask her if she's free for a drink later." Punk grunted, rubbing his stubble with his hand as Dean just shook his head.

"C'mon, AJ isn't interested in him. You know that. She just humours him." Dean nodded.

"I still don't like it." Punk said, "If a girl was acting like that with me I'd tell them to back off." Punk said.

"No you wouldn't." Dean laughed, "AJ shouldn't have to tell him to back off just because you say so." Dean said, "You're just being stupid now." He told him straight.

"I want Nova to kick him in the shin." Punk said as Dean turned to him and shook his head.

"You're terrible." Dean laughed, "Hey I was wondering if you and AJ were free next week some time. If you guys can get a night off from the kids, come out with me and Renee for a while." He suggested.

"Yeah, man. That sounds like fun." Punk smiled, "I'll check with AJ and we can arrange a day. Would be nice to get a night away from the kids actually." He said, "No offence to them." He quickly said as Dean smiled.

"You're only human." Dean shrugged as they turned back to where AJ and Nova were. Nova was practising some things on her own whilst AJ was working with Danny. Punk was getting anxious and angry and stood up.

"Hey!" Punk shouted as he walked towards AJ and Danny, "Why don't I do some things with Ape just now?" He asked, placing his hands on his hips, "I mean, she just needs practise after all. She knows what she's doing." Punk glared at Danny.

"He was just showing me some new things they taught him in Dubai." AJ added.

"That's nice." Punk said unenthusiastically, "But I got it." He said.

"Ok, man." Danny put his hands up and walked off, checking to see how Nova was doing, helping her straighten her arms more and going through some more things he had taught her.

"What is wrong with you?" AJ asked Punk in a hiss, folding her arms.

"What? We used to train together all the time." Punk shrugged.

"You're acting like my father in here. It's embarrassing." AJ spat to him.

"You're better training with me." Punk said casually, ignoring how pissed she looked.

"Are you sure about that?" AJ asked, "I don't want to embarrass you."

Please." Punk scoffed as AJ lifted her arm, quickly blocking it as she went for his legs, quickly blocking her again as she huffed angrily, "You've been out of the game a while, my dear." Punk hummed, unzipping his sweater and throwing it over to the side.

"We'll see about that." AJ grinned, going for his arm as he immediately countered her, getting behind her and holding her hand at the small of her back.

"Give up yet?" Punk asked her as she shook her hand away from him and turned back around to face him, raising her hand again as he quickly blocked it and flipped her forward onto her back on the mat as she lay looking up at him breathing heavily. He smirked, but that faded soon as she quickly lifted her leg and smacked him on the face as he stumbled back a little, giving her time to get to her feet, getting his arm from behind, getting him on his knees and sitting on the small of his back as he lay on the mat on his stomach.

"Do _you_ give up yet?" She whispered in his ear as he laughed to himself, feeling her get off of him as he got to his feet and turned around to her.

"Ok. Alright. If that's how you wanna play." Punk nodded, raising his hand, not having an intention of hitting her, but raising it anyway as she began blocking him, roles reversing as she found her rhythm again, which Danny was struggling to find in her. Punk always brought the best out of her when it came to work and being the best version of herself.

But she began to notice that every now and then, he was looking over at Danny, trying to catch his attention.

She immediately pushed him away for real and scowled at him, "You need to grow up." AJ spat as Punk shook his head with confusion, "We're not kids and I'm not an object." She said, but in a quieter voice for no one else to hear or notice but him, walking to the side and grabbing her sweater.

"April, what are you talking about?" Punk shook his head, watching as she just pushed by him and left the room. He didn't know what just happened. He thought they were having a good session together.

He turned over to Dean who just shrugged towards him.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! Some lighter drama just now until the trials happen! Thanks for the reviews and support, keep them coming!**


	62. Little Sis

**Little Sis**

* * *

"Go watch some TV or something, yeah?" Punk said to Nova as they eventually got home after AJ drove home in silence. She was mad, but he couldn't figure out why.

Nova ran off over to the couch and turned on the TV. Maggie was with Dan and would be picked up later. Right now, Punk wanted to know what was wrong with AJ.

"Hey, you gonna tell me what's wrong with you?" Punk asked walking further into the kitchen where AJ stood.

"Don't act dumb." AJ said, "You were… You were very clearly marking what was yours in there. You had no intention of enjoying training with me." She said, "You kept looking over at Danny to make sure he saw us." She said.

"April I wasn't marking anything on you." Punk said, "I was enjoying training with you. That's it. I-I glanced over a few times at Danny to see what he was up to with Nova." He said.

"Why do you think that I'm interested in him?" AJ asked him with frustration, "It's you I love. It's you I have two daughters with." AJ said, "Why would I be interested in him?" She asked him.

"I just don't like it, ok?" Punk said, "I'm allowed to be a little annoyed when I see another man touching my girlfriend, bending behind her when she stretches forward." He said, "It shows I care, right?" He said.

"No, it shows you're controlling." AJ folded her arms.

"I'm not controlling." Punk defended himself, "Look, I was just wanting to train with you, and I was looking over at Danny to keep an eye on Nova. That's it. I'm not… I'm not explaining myself. This is fucking stupid." He warned her as she looked across at him. Now she could see that he was pissed.

"I thought you were looking for a reaction out of him." AJ shrugged.

"I wasn't." Punk said, "Look, I'm not controlling or possessive or anything like that. I just don't like people touching you and sweating with you and working out with you." He said, "I was gone for four years. I had to live with the thought of you moving on with another guy for four years." He said, "I had nightmares almost every night. I was scared you were gonna fall in love with someone else and realise that… you didn't even love me anyway." Punk shrugged, "So forgive me if I like to keep you close to home. I just know what it feels like to not have you by my side." He said as AJ sighed.

"Phil, I'd never fall in love with someone else. I didn't during those four years, and I won't ever for the rest of my life." She told him, walking over to him, "I get it. That must have been hard to… not know anything that was going on with me or Nova. Not knowing if I had moved on. But I didn't. I never did and I never would." She said, "All I cared about in those four years was Nova, and making sure she was the only thing I kept safe and cared about, because I knew that's what you would have wanted. And it was the one thing I had left that reminded me of you." She said, "I didn't want anyone else. I never would." She told him as he nodded.

"Well I wasn't trying to mark my territory." Punk continued, "I know where we stand. We've been through worse than a guy with muscles smiling and talking to you." He said as she laughed and nodded.

"That's true." She smiled, "Sorry I freaked out. I just… I felt like an object when you were looking over at him. Like I was just a toy you were playing with, and you never make me feel like that." AJ said, "Now I know you weren't and you were just checking on Nova but… I just hate that feeling." She said.

"I know." Punk nodded, "And I'd never act like that with you, you know that." He said.

"I know." AJ smiled softly, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against his chest, "I was just so under the impression that you'd believe I wasn't with anyone else in those four years." She admitted truthfully.

"I was I guess, but there was always the thought. I didn't know if you would want Nova to have a father figure in her life, or I didn't know if someone would have caught your eye and helped you through everything." Punk shrugged.

"No one was ever gonna be Nova's dad except from you." AJ looked up at him, "I can't… God, I can't stand the thought of her calling someone else dad." She shook her head sadly.

"I didn't know how you were gonna deal with it." Punk shrugged.

"I guess you couldn't have." AJ nodded, "You're here now. That's the best thing that ever could have happened." She said, kissing his chest through his t-shirt as he smiled down at her.

"I'm gonna go pick up Maggie from my dad's." Punk told her, "Let's just… forget about all of this shit. We're stronger than this." He said as AJ nodded.

"We are." She smiled, "I'll start dinner." She nodded, walking away over to the kitchen counter as Punk nodded and headed out to go get Maggie.

* * *

Punk made his way over to his father's, walking on into the house and shutting the door behind him as he headed into the living room, jumping when he saw a woman sitting holding Maggie.

"Uh who are you?" Punk demanded to know. Any stranger holding Maggie of course made AJ and Punk very uneasy.

"Oh, hello." The woman smiled, "You must be Phil." She smiled politely.

"Yeah and who are you?" Punk asked as he watched his father walk out of the kitchen.

"Phil." Dan nodded, "This is Vanessa." He introduced as Punk just shook his head. Was he supposed to know this woman who was still holding Maggie?

"Ok, and?" Punk shook his head.

"Here." Vanessa smiled nervously, handing Maggie over to Dan, sensing that Punk wasn't happy about her holding Maggie, "Uh… I'm… well I _was_ Billy's wife." She nodded as Punk folded his arms and nodded, "Before you ask… I had no idea about what he was up to. I had no idea he had three sons, including you." She said, "As you can tell, I feel like a little bit of an idiot." She admitted truthfully, "I'm Cheryl's mom. She's five. Your… your sister." Vanessa nodded, "I know it sounds ridiculous." She admitted.

"Do you need something?" Punk asked as Dan scoffed from over in the corner. His son wasn't great with strangers. He never was.

"Well I know you don't count Billy as your dad clearly. I doubt any of his children would now. I know I won't let my Cheryl know who he is and what he did." Vanessa said, "But… you… you are her brother, as little as she is." Vanessa nodded, "And had Billy told me about you, I would have been happy to accept you as my son." She smiled softly.

She was a kind woman. She wasn't old at all. She was maybe in her late thirties, early forties. She just seemed like a good person. And he really appreciated her reaching out to him like this.

"I guess I sort of shut all of that out. I've been focused on other things lately." Punk admitted as Vanessa nodded.

"Yeah, your dad told me. It's awful what happened to you and your girlfriend." Vanessa nodded, "I hope you get whatever justice you need to sleep at night." She said.

"Thanks." Punk nodded a little awkwardly.

"Look, if you want nothing to do with me or Cheryl that's fine." Vanessa nodded, "You've got your own family and your own life now. The last thing you need is another little girl to be around when you have two of your own." She laughed lightly, "But I just wanted to say my door is opened." She nodded to him as Punk smiled.

He found it incredibly brave of Vanessa to come here, she must have gone through so much with Billy and finding out what monster she'd let into her home. He did think about the little sister he had out there, he guess he just didn't really know how to react to it still.

"I just don't know what I'd say to her." Punk said, "I know how to act around kids but… she's not my kid, she's my sister." Punk shook his head as Vanessa nodded.

"I know it's strange." Vanessa nodded, "But… she might need someone like you in her life. She's lost her father. I don't have any family." She said, "It's just me and her now." She admitted as Punk nodded. It reminded him of AJ and Nova, when he was gone for four years. He would have loved nothing more than for a piece of family to show up for them, to help them out. And this was his little sister. Even though she really was little, that didn't mean he didn't care or want to meet her. She was the only sibling he had that wasn't evil and in prison, which meant a lot to him.

"I'd like to be there for her." Punk nodded, "And I appreciate you coming here to talk to me." He said, "I'm sorry about Billy, and what you must have gone through with that." He shook his head.

"We're just starting to move on now." Vanessa smiled, "It's been hard but… we're getting there." Vanessa nodded, "Your dad was telling me you have another brother in prison." She said.

"Yeah. It's safe to say my brothers don't exactly like me." Punk nodded.

"I know Cheryl would love you." Vanessa nodded, "I'm not trying to pressure you, and this isn't me asking you to see her every day or drop everything you're doing to come see her but… I would like for her to get to know you. I'd like to get to know you too." Vanessa smiled, "You are her brother." She said as Punk nodded.

"I am." Punk nodded to himself, "I would… I would love to meet her." Punk smiled as Dan nodded from the corner holding Maggie, "And I appreciate you coming here to talk to me." Punk nodded.

"I just wanted you to have the opportunity to get to know her, and I didn't want you to think that I was like Billy or I was in on anything he was up to. I was… clueless." Vanessa nodded.

"Yeah, well a lot of people were, don't worry." Punk nodded, "Uh… I can… I can come to you and meet her if that works." Punk nodded.

"Yeah, ok." Vanessa smiled, picking up her purse, "I'll give you my number too incase you have to cancel or something." She waved her hand as Punk nodded, giving her his phone for her to stick her number in, making a note of her address on his phone too, "What day works for you?"

"Well I'm off work just now so… any day." Punk nodded.

"Next Wednesday. 4pm?" Vanessa asked him.

"Yeah, sounds good to me." Punk nodded as Vanessa smiled.

"Ok." Vanessa nodded, "Well thank you." She smiled, turning to Dan too and nodding to him, "I hope I didn't make you feel like you had to agree to this. You can say no." She assured. She was one of those people who would apologise for apologising.

"No, I want to." Punk nodded. It was something that had been on his mind, but he just hadn't got round to really thinking about it. He wanted to meet his little sister. He was excited too, "I mean, she's probably the world's tiniest aunt to my kids but…" He said as Vanessa laughed lightly, "But I want to meet her." He said as Vanessa smiled.

"Great." Vanessa nodded, "Well I better get going." She announced to them both, "I'm sorry this was so random." She said.

"Don't worry about it." Punk nodded.

"She's beautiful by the way." She said, turning back over to Maggie who was with Dan, "She really is gorgeous." She nodded as Punk smiled.

"Thanks." Punk nodded to her, "Drive safe, yeah?" He smiled, walking her out of the door and seeing her off as he then walked back into the house.

"She seems nice." Dan nodded, passing Maggie over to him as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, she does." Punk smiled.

"Could be the only decent sibling you end up having." Dan nodded to him, "You excited to meet her?" He smiled.

"Yeah. I am actually. I think because she's a kid I'm not as nervous." Punk nodded, "But… she's my sister. I should be there for her, no matter what age she is." Punk said as Dan nodded, "I might be the only thing she has left next to her mom." He said as Dan nodded.

"Well I'm sure she'll find a good big brother in you." Dan smiled as Punk nodded.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	63. Progressing Forward

**Progressing Forward**

* * *

When Punk got home with Maggie, she was thrilled to hear that Punk was going to meet his sister, even despite the incredibly large age gap. It was perhaps the only decent sibling he had left, and AJ herself knew the joys of having a sister, she wanted Punk to experience that too.

"It might be easier because she's younger." AJ nodded, standing in Maggie's nursery, swaying back and forth with Maggie in her arms to soothe her to sleep. They had just fed, bathed and changed her, ready for bed. Nova was out watching some TV in her pyjamas with Ace of course, her best friend.

"I'm excited." Punk nodded, leaning by the edge of the door, "I got three brothers who are in prison. She's gonna be the only decent sibling I'll have probably." He said, "I want to be there for her. I mean, her mom pretty much said that it's just the two of them. I wanna help out." Punk nodded.

"She'll love you." AJ smiled, "I've saw her a few times dropping Nova off at school. I know you tend to drop her off at the other door." She noted, "She's a pretty little thing." She smiled. She was happy for Punk. Even if he couldn't bond with her the way he maybe would have liked to as her brother, he still had a right to be in her life, and be a good role model for her, "So does that make Cheryl and Nova… what? Cousins?" AJ shook her head with confusion.

"No. Cheryl is Nova's aunt." Punk smiled, "They'll probably act more like cousins I guess." Punk nodded.

"I'm glad the girls will have another little kid to play with. It's not like they will have cousins or anything." AJ shrugged, "No, I think this is great, Phil. She'll love you." AJ nodded, gently placing Maggie down in her crib once getting her drifted off to sleep.

"I hope so." Punk nodded, "I don't want it to end up being like… I'm more of a dad figure to her." Punk shook his head, "I want to be her brother." He nodded.

"I know what you mean." AJ nodded as they left Maggie's room, leaving her with the little glowbug night light that was on a timer for half an hour to give a little light in the room.

"I'll see how it goes." Punk nodded, "I'm hoping she's not too hard to win round." He admitted.

"You'll be fine." AJ smiled proudly, rubbing his back softly and kissing his arm as they walked back to the couch where Nova was sitting with Ace watching the TV.

"It's time for bed, monkey." Punk told Nova who groaned.

"Oh, please five more minutes." Nova begged.

"You said that five minutes ago." Punk said.

"My programme is still on." Nova pointed.

"You have school tomorrow." Punk said, "And then you're going to see David after. You need plenty of sleep."

"Oh, but daddy." Nova whined.

"Just five more minutes." AJ nudged Punk and nodded.

"Yeah!" Nova cheered towards her mother, "Mommy is the boss and we have to do and say what mommy says and she says five more minutes." Nova said, sticking her tongue out to Punk who just shook his head.

"Well don't get grumpy tomorrow when you're all tired." Punk said.

"I'm never tired." Nova told him as AJ and Punk took a seat on the sofa across from her.

"That's a lie." Punk said, "You get cranky when you're tired."

"No, I don't." Nova spat, "I'm not cranky. You're cranky." Nova said childishly.

"Good one." Punk hummed tiredly, feeling tired himself as he rested his head back on the couch whilst AJ played with his hair.

"Five more minutes won't do anything." AJ whispered to him.

"It's not about the minutes, it's about the discipline." Punk told her in their quiet conversation whilst Nova watched her programme. It was a little collection of kids programmes on before bed. Sometimes it was the one with the family of bears, Punk sometimes found it enjoyable. Other times it was the sister and brother rabbit who lived in a house themselves. Punk knew all of them.

"Discipline? She's a good kid. She just wants to finish her programme." AJ told him as Punk just nodded, letting it go very quickly, "He's getting old." AJ said whilst looking over at Ace whom Nova was practically lying on top of.

"Nah, he's still a ball of energy." Punk shook his head, "He's only eight." Punk said.

"Only? That's kinda old for a dog." AJ said, "He's so good with the girls." She smiled. Ace had always been their watchdog from the moment they took him in from the K-9 unit when he was apparently 'untrainable' and couldn't behave properly. He had always been AJ's protector, but ever since the girls came, he was always by their side, mostly Nova's since Nova had grown up with him all her life. Sometimes he would creep into her room and lay at the bottom of her bed, or if the door was shut tight, he'd just lie at her door to be as close as he could be. He was a big part of the family.

"He's a good guard dog." Punk nodded, "The only son I'll ever need." He said as AJ smiled, resting her head on his shoulder comfortingly, enjoying the peace and quiet in the house, both of them watching the rest of Nova's programme with her until it finished.

"Ok, now it really is bed time, baby." AJ nodded over to Nova once the little theme song to her programme rolled with the closing credits.

"Ok." Nova huffed, "Goodnight, Ace." She said, kissing the dog on his nose as Ace lifted his head and watched as she jumped off the couch and ran off into her bedroom where AJ and Punk got up and followed.

It's nearly my birthday." Nova cared to tell them whilst climbing into her bed and pulling her unicorn covers over her.

"Oh, we know." Punk said, "You're getting really old." He said as she snuggled down to rest her head on her pillow.

"Do you know what you'd like for your birthday?" AJ smiled to her whilst Punk tucked her in.

"Uh… well maybe a bike but I don't know how to ride one and I'd have to take it down the stairs to get out." Nova sighed a little as AJ frowned.

"Mhm." AJ nodded.

"We'll figure out something. Don't you worry, sweetness." Punk said, leaning forward and placing a kiss on her forehead, "You want your lavender bear?" He asked her.

"Yes please." Nova nodded as Punk walked across the room to grab her glow up lavender bear which helped her sleep better at night. It was something David had recommended, and instead of spraying things on her pillow, they managed to find a bear that glowed up in the dark and served the exact same purpose.

"You have a good sleep." Punk cupped her cheek softly as she hugged into her bear.

"Yeah, goodnight, baby." AJ smiled, leaning over and kissing her daughter on the cheek, both of them leaving her room and closing the door over as they headed back over to the couch, "I think it's… I think it's time we have a serious think about… moving into a house." AJ nodded to him, taking a deep breath.

* * *

The next day whilst Nova was at school, Punk and AJ had began viewing houses in the local neighbourhood, Maggie of course came in her stroller for the ride too, not doing much viewing as she was fast asleep the entire time.

Punk knew this was a big step for AJ. There was always a special place in her heart for their little apartment and all the memories, good and bad, they had made there, but they had to keep moving forward, to bigger and better things hopefully. He knew since they had their conversation about marriage and moving house, that it was things AJ wasn't just being fussy about it, and didn't want to do it, she was genuinely frightened of it.

They'd viewed a few so far but nothing had caught their eye. They were looking for a four bedroom in the case of maybe having another baby down the line, not that they had talked about it, but it was just something that was on both of their minds at the back. They also wanted a nice garden so the kids could play in the summer, and in the winter. Believe it or not, Nova had yet to make her first ever snowman.

"I feel like I'm never gonna find the perfect one because I'm still so attached to our apartment." AJ admitted as they drove to the next listing. It was crucial always for them to be local to the station, to Nova's school, to the parks and to Punk's dad's house.

"I know." Punk nodded, "We've only looked at a few, don't get your hopes up to find one right away." Punk said, "It could take some time." He said. He for one was so glad that they were now making this move. He knew it would benefit them all. And he knew once AJ took the step to buying their own house, she'd fall in love with it. She just needed to make this first step, and he was proud of her for doing so. He knew she was doing it for the kids. She was selfless like that.

"I just want to make sure it's the perfect one, you know?" AJ said as he nodded, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I know." Punk nodded, "I do too. It's a big thing." He said as she nodded.

"I know I feel like I'm gonna throw up and this is me not even bought a house yet." AJ admitted as Punk smiled. He knew she got all worked up and nervous about things like this. Her anxiety was always triggered by big steps taken in life. But she was doing great.

"Don't worry." He told her, "Don't make yourself sick over this. It's supposed to a nice thing." He smiled glancing at her, then turning back to the road.

"I know." AJ nodded, taking quiet deep breaths to herself.

"Ok, here is the next one." Punk said, turning into a little street and pulling up to the house which had a 'for sale' sign outside of course.

They got out of the car. Punk took Maggie out in her car seat, holding it over his arm as they approached the house and walked on in, greeted by the estate agent who they told they were just having a look around.

"This is nice." Punk said as AJ walked in front, looking around and walking down the hall into the kitchen. It was probably more than double the size of their kitchen in the apartment, with a little island around it, as well as a table across.

"It's huge in here." AJ shook her head, "I bet this is pricey." She nodded to Punk.

"It sure looks it." Punk nodded, heading into the living room next as they looked around.

In all the previous houses they'd looked at, AJ had tried to imagine their family in the house, having Nova here and Maggie growing up here. None of them had managed to catch her eye yet until this one. She imagined a Christmas tree in the corner of the living room, and she imagined having the kids off to bed and laying with Punk to watch Movies with Ace at their feet.

"This is… really nice." AJ nodded as Punk smiled to her.

They then headed upstairs to have a look around. All the bedrooms were incredibly spacious and she really did imagine the girl's rooms, and having them all decorated nicely, as well as their own bedroom. It was the first house they had viewed where she had managed to envision herself living in it, and it began to feel not quite as scary as it had been.

"Ok, this house is really drawing me in." AJ nodded to Punk as they walked back downstairs, Punk still holding Maggie in her car seat as the baby girl slept through all the house viewing.

"Yeah?" Punk smiled as AJ nodded to him, "Yeah, this is definitely the best one we've saw so far." He nodded, "Just feels really homey, right?" He said, reaching the bottom of the stairs as AJ nodded.

"I can imagine us living here." AJ nodded, "I really can." She said, surprised with herself that she was actually saying that, "What do you think?" She asked him.

"I think it's a pretty damn nice house." Punk nodded to her as she smiled, watching as the estate agent approached them.

"Can I interest you on making an offer?" She asked them as they glanced at one another.

"Uh… yeah." Punk nodded, "Yeah let's talk."

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	64. Long Time Coming

**Long Time Coming**

* * *

Later that night after they had put an offer down on the house they both liked, as well as taking Nova to see David for her weekly therapy session, they got home, just picking up pizza on the way back for dinner.

Punk had called Vanessa to arrange a date to meet Cheryl. Since it was the first meeting, he was just going to their address. He didn't know how Cheryl would be. She still was just a little kid. But he was glad they had arranged a date.

Punk could see AJ was on a high the entire day. Ever since she had saw the house they put the officer in for, she'd been smiley and giddy. He knew she just needed to take that first step into looking for their own house to be finally alright with it.

"You want another slice, Nova?" AJ asked whilst taking another slice of pizza for herself.

"No, I'm full." Nova sighed dramatically, reaching for her drink whilst her other hand rubbed her tummy, sitting up at the table with her parents whilst Maggie was over on her play mat in the living room.

"Do you have homework?" Punk asked her as she sat her drink back down, shaking her head.

"No. Miss Kelly takes the homework in on Fridays." Nova said, "I told you that." She informed him angrily.

"So you decide to do it all on the Thursday night?" Punk raised a brow.

"Yes." Nova said, "It's only some spellings and reading." Nova shrugged, unbothered.

"As long as you're doing it." AJ nodded to her, brushing her hand over her daughter's soft hair, "That's the most important thing."

"I do and I always get a gold tick on the chart." She smiled cheerfully to them, "Can I go watch some TV now?" She asked them both.

"Yeah, on you go." Punk nodded as Nova jumped down from the chair and ran over to the couch, "Is Mag sleeping?" He asked Nova, not being able to see from sitting down.

"Yeah, she's sleeping." Nova said as Punk nodded, turning back to AJ.

"I can't stop thinking about that house." AJ shook her head with a small smile.

"Try not get your hopes up. There's a good chance we might not get it." He said. He didn't want to put all her hope into the house incase they wound up not getting it.

"No, I know." AJ understood, "I guess it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be." She nodded, "I actually imagined us living there. When I was looking around I just imagined us there." She shook her head. It was crazy how right it felt, "I feel so stupid for being so scared about it."

"It's ok to be scared. It is a big thing." Punk nodded to her, "But it was a great house." Punk nodded. Even he couldn't deny it, it was a great house, it felt warm inside, and like AJ, he imagined them living there. He was just happy that AJ was just as keen to buy it.

"This is all just such a far cry from where I was three years ago." AJ shook her head, "So much has changed, you know. Some good and bad things." She nodded whilst tossing her pizza crust in the box.

"Yeah, I'd say we're doing not too bad right now." Punk nodded, "I mean it's almost been a year since I've been back. So much has happened. We've had another baby. We've gone through hell and back to find some sort of stability." He added, "We're headed in the right direction."

"I'll never forget those four years, though." AJ nodded to him.

"I don't think we ever will." Punk said.

"No, I don't think so." AJ agreed.

 _It had been a few months since Punk had died. AJ still wasn't back at work yet, and was dedicating most of her time to her one-year old daughter. It was hard being around her sometimes. She was such a ball of energy, so care-free and unaware of what she had really lost. However, it did make a difference to have some light shine through everything. Nova was the only light in AJ's life now._

 _It still didn't feel real. She'd lay on the couch, and just expect for him to walk around and sit next to her. It didn't feel real to let go of him, she didn't think it ever would._

 _She was over the tears stage, and the stage of locking everyone away from her. Now she was just an emotionless walking piece of skin, trying to get by. She missed her best friend, her soulmate, her everything. He was gone so quickly. In the blink of an eye. She didn't think there was any recovering now. All she had to do was survive somehow._

 _It was late on, around 9pm, and Nova was still awake and alert over in the living room, crawling around and playing with her toys. She had only just turned one the day before Punk had been taken from them. How was that fair? It angered her, and frustrated her to know that Nova would never know how wonderful and amazing her father really was. He would have loved her so much._

 _She was baking a cake. She'd made 3 batches and this was her fourth now, having messed up the first three by forgetting an ingredient or adding too much of one. Her head was still on another planet._

 _She felt like she was in a depressive cycle that was everlasting. She didn't feel like there would be any light again. Punk was all her light. He had become so much more to her than just her bestfriend. He was the only person she truly trusted in this world. And now he was gone. Just like her sister._

 _She waited on the cake baking, checking on Nova every few minutes to see that she wasn't up to any mischief._

 _Once the cake was finished, AJ took it out, let it cool, and then slathered some icing over the top of it, sticking a candle in the centre and lighting it as she took it over to the coffee table._

" _What are you doing to Ace, baby?" AJ smiled to Nova who sat on the floor beside Ace, tugging on his ears and stuffing him with her large lego blocks. Of course, Ace didn't mind. He didn't have a choice._

 _Nova just cracked a mischievous smile for her mother, and lifted her arms where AJ lifted her up, taking a seat on the couch and sitting her on her lap as the flame attracted her immediately. Of course, she wanted her hands on it immediately._

" _You can't touch that, baby." AJ smiled, kissing her little cheek softly, holding her on her lap as she looked at the flame too, "It's daddy's birthday." AJ nodded as Nova watched the flame closely whilst playing with AJ's hands which were around her, "I'd give anything to be here." AJ whispered as Nova sat quietly on her lap looking at the cake, "He loved us so much, baby." AJ sighed._

 _Just last year, they had celebrated Punk's birthday together as a family of three. Nova was just two months old at the time, and since they weren't up to going out, they just had quiet night together in the apartment. AJ cooked, baked a cake, and they had a cuddle on the sofa whilst keeping an eye on their daughter. She missed him so much. She could never describe just how much._

 _She gathered herself together before losing it, looking at Nova on her lap. She was what was keeping her going now. She was a little part of Punk that she cherished and held closer than ever, and she promised she'd always do right by her._

" _Let's blow the candle out together, ok?" AJ smiled to Nova, leaning forward, keeping Nova back from the flame enough. The one-year-old was a little confused, so just watched as her mother blew out the candle on the cake, giggling adorably once she saw the candle was no longer lit._

 _AJ watched as Ace sniffed at the cake, "Ok. I think we all can have a little piece of cake then." AJ smiled, "What'd you say, baby?" She smiled to Nova, kissing her head softly, standing up and balancing her daughter on her hip whilst picking the cake up to go cut it._

 _It was gonna be hard…no… it was going to be impossible to get used to a life without Punk._

* * *

"How long do you think we'll need to wait until the estate agent gets back to us?" AJ asked, getting into bed later with Punk, both their girls asleep.

"I'm really not sure. A week maybe, two." Punk estimated, "Depends I guess." He said, "You really want it, don't you?" He smiled.

"I do." AJ nodded, "There is no one more surprised than me, trust me." She smiled a little, curling into him, "It didn't seem so scary once we started looking at them. I just needed to take that first step. And it helped that I loved that one we put an offer in for." AJ smiled.

"It's a good location too." Punk added as she nodded, "I just don't want you to be disappointed if we don't get it." He said.

"I know. I won't be." AJ promised him, "I'm just… I'm glad we're moving forward. Making a better life for the girls. Maybe it was selfish of me to want to just… stay here forever but I was just scared of… of putting so much into something that it would end up falling apart like it did before." She said.

"I know." Punk said, "It's not been easy for us. And I know those four years have left a lot of opened wounds for both of us, but we'll get through it, just like we'll get through these trials coming up." He nodded to her.

"I'm not as nervous as I was." AJ admitted, "Maybe even after the trials I could even think about going back to work." She said, thinking out loud.

"Well let's just take one day at a time, yeah?" Punk nodded, "That's what's been working for us so far. Just taking each day bit by it." He said, "Things will start feeling normal again soon." He said.

It'd been a long time since either of them had felt any sense of normality, but they were beginning to feel it on the horizon. Of course the awaited trials was what everything was leading up to, but they were starting to build a foundation back up again for their family. They hadn't gotten that chance since Punk got back because of everything that had gone on, but now they had that chance.

* * *

 **A/N: The trials will be soon. What is going to happen? Will they get the house? Any more from Danny? Punk meets Cheryl. All coming up soon. REVIEW and let me know what you think!**


	65. Stronger Than Ever

**Stronger Than Ever**

* * *

A few days later, Punk was finally heading out to go meet Cheryl. He was a little nervous. Even though she was just a kid, he still wanted to make a good impression. He didn't want to end up becoming a father figure in her life. He wanted to be her brother. Someone she could come to and talk to at a time of need. Someone she could joke around with in ways that she couldn't with her mother. He still wanted to be her brother.

He had left AJ cooking dinner, telling her he'd have his when he came back. When he felt, Maggie was crying screaming, Ace was barking and Nova was showing them what she was doing in gym class in the kitchen. He picked the perfect time to casually slip out the door.

He headed to the address that Vanessa had given him, parking outside the small house and turning the car engine off. He felt like there was a lot of good coming in their lives. They'd put in their offer for the house they liked, he was meeting more family he never knew he had, the nice part of the family, Nova was getting on great at therapy with David, and AJ was feeling good too. He just hoped that when the trials came up in a few weeks, that wouldn't take them back all those steps they had taken to get where they were.

He got out of his car after parking it, walking through the gate and up the pathway as he reached the door, knocking on it a few times before standing back with his hands in his pockets.

He watched as Vanessa soon came to the door with a smile, "Hi, Phil." Vanessa smiled sweetly, "Come in. She's just finished her dinner." She smiled as Punk nodded, walking on into the house, wiping his feet on the welcome mat.

"I left April in the apartment with Nova running around and Maggie screaming. She doesn't do well with patience at dinner time." Punk smiled, making conversation.

"I find it tough with just Cheryl. I can't imagine it with a screaming baby too. More power to you both." Vanessa smiled, "She's just through here." She walked ahead, turning back as she noticed Punk had paused for a second. She could see he was a little nervous, "She's real easy to talk to." Vanessa nodded, walking back over to him, "She can be a little quiet but if she trusts you, she'll talk." She smiled as Punk nodded.

He took a deep breath and followed her out of the doorway and into the living room where Cheryl was sitting on the couch with the pet cat on her lap, watching one of the cartoons that Punk recognised from Nova watching.

She was a beautiful little girl. Blonde hair like her mother, bright blue eyes. She really looked nothing like him or her father, but that didn't bum him out.

"Oh, hey." Cheryl smiled, sitting up suddenly as the cat squirmed off her lap and ran off into the kitchen, "Are you Phil my big brother?" She asked curiously. Her mother had told her a little about Punk and how he was coming to visit. It was better than just surprising her and confusing her.

"Uh… yeah." Punk smiled nervously, taking his hands out his pockets, "And you must be Cheryl, right?" He smiled as Cheryl nodded.

"Yeah." Cheryl said, "Sometimes mommy calls me Cher. Or Chez." Cheryl shrugged as Punk nodded slowly.

"Well sometimes people call me Punk." He informed her, "You can call me Punk if you want." He nodded whilst Vanessa smiled, slowly creeping off into the kitchen as Punk took a seat beside Cheryl.

"Why do people call you Punk? That's a funny name." She giggled as Punk just shrugged.

"I don't know really." Punk admitted, "It's just a nickname people have gave me." He said. He didn't mean to do it, but he was comparing Cheryl to Nova, and Cheryl did seem a lot more out there, and open, whereas Nova was sometimes quiet, and a little harder to get through to. He knew the relationships he had with both of them were completely different however.

"So mommy says you're my brother but you're Nova Brooks' dad." Cheryl said, "Nova. She's in my class. Do you know her?" She wondered as Punk laughed lightly.

"Uh… yeah. Yeah I know her pretty well." Punk smiled, "Hey, nothing much is gonna change, kid. I mean, we're still gonna go about living our own lives but… I am your brother and that means that if you ever have a problem, if you ever need to talk to someone that isn't your mom, I'll be next in line, and I'll always make time for you." He promised as she traced a finger over his tattoos on his hands.

"Are these draw-rings?" She asked childishly.

"Uh yeah, you could say that." Punk smiled, "I got them all up my arms." He said.

"Do you really?" Cheryl asked.

"Yeah. Here." He said, taking his sweater off as she looked on at his tattooed arms.

"Woah, that's so cool. What do they all mean?" Cheryl questioned as she gazed at them all.

Vanessa was right. It really was easy to talk to her, and he already felt a great relationship sprouting between them. Even if he was a lot older than her, it didn't mean he couldn't still be there for her, and visit her. He was glad he decided to go ahead and meet her. He was almost afraid that he now had one more person to look out for, but he knew he couldn't think like that, instead he knew this was one more piece of family he had to love and care about, and that was priceless.

* * *

Punk got home later that night after spending some time at Vanessa and Cheryl's house. He spoke to Cheryl for a while, just getting acquainted with her, as young as she was, and then he helped her a little with her homework. It really was things he was familiar with, with Nova, and then he watched some TV with her. He knew that he wasn't going to be a constant figure in her life such as a father, but he would be around and that was enough.

He got home, walking through the apartment door to a quiet apartment, which was a far cry from how it sounded when he left.

He walked across the living room area, over to Maggie's nursery first, tiptoeing into it as he walked over to her crib, smiling down at the three-month-old laying in her crib fast asleep. Her little personality was developing every day. She was smiling away, developing little quirks, and AJ and Punk still felt blessed that she was with them. A part of them believed they always would feel blessed to have Maggie safe under their roof, after everything that had gone on.

He leaned down and kissed her head before leaving the room, walking back across the living room and into Nova's room where she was asleep in bed, sprawled out as usual with the covers all over the place. Her development had been not only wonderful but fascinated. He was worried about her all those weeks ago when she wouldn't eat, sleep and barely spoke. But David had helped her with therapy, as well as Danny who had taught her a few self-defence skills, not really for defence purposes but more so for the hobby of it.

He fixed her covers, gave her a sweet kiss on the head and left the room, eventually coming to his third and final girl in the apartment.

He walked into he and AJ's bedroom where she was in bed asleep, but with her glasses still on and a book she must have been reading flattened out by her side, having dropped it when she obviously fell asleep.

He smiled and walked round to her side, taking the book and marking the page that was still opened, then sliding her loose glasses from her, folding them up and sitting them on the book beside her bedside.

He then watched as she began to wake a little, probably sensing him being near no doubt.

"H-Hey." AJ grumbled sleepily.

"Hey, sorry. Go back to sleep." Punk whispered, caressing her cheek softly as she blinked a few times to waken up more.

"What time is it?" AJ asked, sitting up and looking round at the clock, "9. How lame am I?" She groaned a little.

"Hey, I'm coming to join you." Punk laughed, walking round the bed and stripping his t-shirt off as he done so, "Kids are the equivalent to round 50 gym sessions, each day." He said as she smirked a little.

"You got that right." AJ smiled, "Maggie was so unsettled tonight when you left. She cried and cried. Wouldn't take her bottle. It wasn't like her at all." She sighed.

"Missed her daddy." Punk smiled cockily, shuffling down his jeans and getting into bed beside AJ.

"She probably did." AJ nodded, "So how was it?" She smiled, "I couldn't stop thinking about you the entire time." She said.

"It was great." Punk smiled, "She's a great kid. A lot more outgoing and loud than I expected actually, but her mom says that's when she knows she's comfortable with someone." Punk shrugged, "It went well, yeah." Punk nodded positively.

"Good, I'm glad." AJ smiled to him, rubbing his arm comfortingly, "We could even take her out some days if we're ever going out with Nova and Maggie. I mean, maybe it's better she's younger, you'll probably bond better with her." She said.

"You know, I feel like I did actually." Punk agreed, "She was so easy to talk to." He nodded, "I'm glad she's gonna be in my life. I was a little worried because of how young she is but… it really doesn't matter what age she is. I want to be there for her." Punk nodded as AJ smiled.

"You're so good." AJ nodded, cupping his cheek softly, "What did the world do to deserve Philip Jack Brooks?" She smiled.

"Stop." Punk shook his head as AJ smiled, kissing his bare shoulder softly and curling into him, "I know we're gonna be tested soon. These trials won't be a walk in the park at all. It's gonna… It's gonna bring everything back up again. We're gonna have to relive it all. Talk about it. Think about it." Punk nodded, "I just don't want it to undo all the progress we've made as a family, you know?" He said as AJ looked up at him and nodded.

"Yeah, I agree." AJ nodded, "They're not gonna win. I'm just thinking about it as us getting the front row seat to watching them get sentenced to dying in a lonely cell one day. Which is exactly what they deserve." She said as Punk nodded, "I'm feeling confident about them. I know it's gonna be tough, but I'm confident. We're stronger than we've ever been."

"I know." Punk smiled, "Hopefully it stays that way." He nodded as she smiled, looking up at him with doe eyes as she straddled herself over him, pushing the sheets away behind her as she lifted off her t-shirt as he watched intently, "Not so tired anymore, huh?" He whispered as she shook her head, biting her lip and cupping her bare breasts as she leaned down, pressing her lips against his as he placed his hands on her waist, spinning them over so she was laying on her back.

She rolled her head back as he kissed down her neck, kissing down the valley of her breasts and over her stomach before reaching his destination, pulling down her shorts and panties and tossing them off the bed as she propped herself up on her elbows to look down at him.

"Hungry?" She whispered as he smirked.

"Starving." Punk nodded, kissing the insides of her thighs as he parted her legs, kissing his way to her centre before parting her folders and dipping his tongue against her clit and up her slit, using his entire mouth on her as she collapsed back and arched her back off the bed.

"Phil." AJ moaned out in ecstasy, "Fuck, baby. That feels so good." She cried out, her hands strolling down her body as she ran them through his hair whilst his face stayed buried in between her legs, bumping his tongue against her clit and dipping it down inside her entrance a little which drove her crazy.

"You're fucking dripping, baby." Punk smirked, a tone of appreciation in his voice as he used his fingers on her, slipping a digit inside her as she smiled with satisfaction, feeling him add another in before jumping up when he hit her g-spot, "Found it." He smirked as she looked down at him, biting her lip as he began thrusting his fingers into her, rubbing her clit with his thumb as her breathing began to get harsh.

"I'm gonna cum. Keep going." AJ gasped, "I'm gonna cum, baby. Just like that." AJ moaned, feeling herself reaching her release quicker and quicker as he continued to thrust his fingers inside her whilst rubbing her clit, "Right there, baby!" AJ moaned, arching her back suddenly as she came hard, her body going rigid as Punk smirked, feeling her juices erupt around his fingers.

"I could watch you cum all day." Punk smirked, making his way back up her quivering body, pressing his lips against hers softly as he rolled back onto his back, taking her with him so she was on top.

She dented her knees into either side of him so she was straddling his hips, sitting up as she took his hand, sucking on the fingers that had been inside her a few seconds ago whilst rocking her hips back and forth on his erect member through his boxers.

"You're so fucking sexy." Punk shook his head as she smirked, letting his hand go as she then concentrated elsewhere, pulling down his boxers desperately as he then kicked them off the rest of the way.

"I need you inside me." She whispered almost to herself whilst stroking him a few times up and down with her hand, guiding his hardened, large length up into her entrance as she sunk down on his length, placing her hands on his colourful chest as he groaned.

"Fuck, Ape." Punk groaned, there was no better feeling than connecting with her this way. Where their only focus was on each other.

"Oh, baby you're so deep." AJ gasped, taking his hands and placing them over her breasts as he gave them a light squeeze, pulling her down to his level where he cupped her cheeks and pressed a sloppy kiss on her lips.

"Fuck, baby move those little hips." Punk moaned as AJ began to move her hips up and down, taking him all the way in and out, starting a steady rhythm whilst Punk kept a hold on her hips, "Yeah, just like that." Punk nodded, looking down as she slipped up and down on him, watching his length slide up inside her, letting her set the pace which happened to be quite a fast one.

"Ay papi, mas adentro, mas duro, damelo todo." AJ whispered to herself as Punk arched a brow a little as she continued whispering things to herself in Spanish. It only turned him on even more.

"Yeah, you like that?" Punk smirked, cupping his hand on her neck, rolling them over so she was on her back, parting her legs further as he began pounding into her as she rolled her head back, giving him easy access to her neck as he began sucking her pulse point whilst thrusting into her.

"Oh, baby." AJ moaned seductively, clinging her arms around his neck as his lips trailed back up to hers again, both of them losing themselves in each other completely.

* * *

 **A/N: Fluff before drama! Enjoy and stay tuned. REVIEW and let me know what you think.**


	66. New Best Friend

**New Best Friend**

* * *

The next week, Punk had volunteered to pick Cheryl up from school along with Nova, and take her home with them to have some dinner. He didn't only want to bond with Cheryl, but he also wanted to take some weight from Vanessa's shoulders. She was a single mom with two jobs. Punk wanted to help out as much as he could, and AJ was willing to help too. Nova… wasn't particularly excited about the full thing.

"Cheryl do you like carrots?" AJ questioned whilst Cheryl sat up at the kitchen table across from Nova who had her arms folded and was glaring across at Cheryl.

"Yeah, I don't mind." Cheryl shrugged politely.

"See, Cheryl likes her vegetables." AJ looked over to Nova who wasn't impressed.

Meanwhile Punk had just put Maggie down after feeding and changing her. Dinner time was always a mad rush, but that didn't mean they didn't have room for another person at the table. Cheryl was welcomed. She was part of the family now.

"This smells good." Punk smiled as he walked out of Maggie's nursery, rubbing his hands together excitedly as AJ smiled, "You girls have any homework for tonight?" Punk asked Nova and Cheryl.

"I did mine in class." Nova told her father briefly.

"I've got some." Cheryl nodded to him.

"Well Nova, maybe you could help Cheryl with some of her homework-"

"But I've already done mine!" Nova snapped as AJ and Punk turned to her. Punk gave her a stern look. He didn't have to shout or raise his voice, but an arch of his eyebrow and a crook in his mouth signalled that she had snapped unnecessarily, "I mean… I'll try." Nova mumbled as Cheryl just sat quietly.

Coming into a new family was a little nerve wracking, especially for a little girl her age, and Punk wanted her to feel welcomed and comfortable, but Nova wasn't really helping him out.

"Ok, Cheryl just eat what you want, sweetheart." AJ said, putting down the girls' plates for them first and then getting hers and Punks.

"Thank you." Cheryl smiled to AJ.

* * *

Dinner was fairly quiet. Nova normally spoke all the way through dinner, but this time she hadn't muttered a single word. She just sat in silence and of course only ate half of her dinner. It wasn't like her.

Once both of the girls were done, AJ and Punk told them they could go watch some TV or play together, but when they did, they sat on separate couches. Nova sat with Ace on one couch whilst Cheryl sat on the other by herself.

"Do you think they get on?" Punk asked AJ quietly, sitting across from her at the table with the dinner plates piled up to be taken away.

"Doesn't look like it." AJ frowned a little, "I thought they did." She shook her head.

"They never spoke a word to each other in the car here. Nova didn't say anything during dinner." Punk noticed.

"Maybe she's jealous." AJ shrugged, "She gets like that with you."

"But we sat her down and told her that Cheryl was my sister. It's not like she's being replaced." Punk said.

"Well she might feel that way." AJ shrugged, "You just gotta assure her, and maybe bring them closer together." AJ nodded, turning back to look over at the girls, "I mean they look like they can't stand each other." AJ shook her head as Punk sighed.

"Maybe they're just not that close in school so it might be a little weird for them at first." Punk suggested as AJ nodded.

"I'm sure they just need to get used to being around one another. I mean, it's not like it'll be constant, but they will see each other more than they used to, and they are family." AJ nodded.

"I thought they'd get on really well." Punk admitted, a little saddened that there seemed to be no connection between the girls.

"Just give it some time. It's still new. To all of us. Cheryl will fit in." AJ said as Punk nodded just as Maggie began to cry from her nursery, "What is going on with her?" AJ sighed to herself.

"I'll get her." Punk assured her, getting up from the table and heading back into Maggie's nursery.

The three-month-old had been a little restless in the past week. She wasn't sleeping or taking her bottle the same, and only seemed to calm down when in either Punk or AJ's arms. AJ was wondering if she was maybe coming down with the flu, or if there was something not right with her, but the health visitor said that it was normally for babies at her age to get restless from time to time, and to want more affection than usual.

"What's wrong, my girl?" Punk hummed as he lifted Maggie up into his arms as she cried loudly, "Huh? Oh, dear. What's wrong with my baby?" He asked her whilst holding her in against his chest, leaving the nursery and walking back out to the kitchen table where AJ watched.

"Is she ok?" AJ wondered as Punk sat back down across from her with Maggie in his arms who had stopped crying as soon as she had been lifted.

"She's playing us I think." Punk nodded, "She just wants to be held all the time." Punk said, "She's a little clingy thing." He said as AJ smiled, looking over at Maggie curled into Punk. She was very much their little angel. Nova was too of course, they were never treated differently, but Maggie was just a perfect little bundle to hold and kiss, and of course it was forever in their mind that they could have lost her, and they were so grateful every day that she was here with them. Their little miracle.

"She just loved to be held." Punk chuckled a little, looking down at Maggie who was resting in against him, no sign of distress anymore after he had lifted her, "We're spoiling her too much." Punk nodded.

"Hey, I'll spoil her if I wanna spoil her." AJ nodded with a smile. There was not a better sight in the world than watching the man she loved with her daughters, "Hey, have you heard anything about the house?" AJ wondered. It had been just over a week since they had put in an offer for the house they loved, but there had been no contact towards them in regards to it, which made AJ a little sad, but she wasn't trying to build her hopes up on it.

"No, nothing." Punk shook his head, "I'm hoping within the next few days we get some sort of update." Punk nodded, "Could be more than just a week though. Gotta be patient." Punk smiled to her.

"I hate being patient." AJ groaned as Punk smiled.

"I know you do." He laughed a little, rubbing Maggie's back softly and kissing the side of her head every now and then as she rested her little head on his shoulder.

"She's so gorgeous." AJ smiled, tucking her clasped hands under her chin as she looked over at Maggie. She was such a gorgeous baby, just like Nova was. She had that dark skin of her mothers, dark wispy strands of hair, hazelnut eyes and the most adorable button nose and cute smile ever. Not to mention she was becoming a little ball of energy, kicking her legs whenever she was getting a fresh diaper on, on the changing table.

"She is." Punk agreed with a smile, looking over at Nova and Cheryl who had now moved positions, and it seemed like they were arguing over what to watch on TV.

Punk got AJ's attention to look over at the girls as Cheryl snatched the TV remote from Nova.

"We should watch this!" Cheryl advised as Nova had steam coming from her ears almost.

"No!" Nova yelled, jumping down off the couch and snatching the remote back from Cheryl, "We were watching this show. I always watch this after dinner." Nova told her.

"But I like the other one." Cheryl shook her head, taking the remote back and running over to the other couch as Nova folded her arms, tears welling in her eyes as Punk watched.

"C'mon, Ace. Let's go." Nova nodded to Ace, walking off to her bedroom as Ace followed after her, slamming her bedroom door shut once her and Ace had entered the room.

"I just wanted to show her this show that I watch." Cheryl said as she looked over to Punk, hoping she wasn't in trouble, she just wanted to show Nova the shows she watched but Nova wasn't up for her routine being changed or messed with.

"It's ok." Punk assured Cheryl, not wanting her to get upset, "She's just a little tired. She gets cranky." Punk nodded to Cheryl who just nodded and turned back to the TV whilst Punk turned back to AJ and glanced at her wearily.

* * *

Nova stayed in her bedroom all night. Punk and AJ spent some time with Cheryl, mostly AJ since AJ hadn't met her until now and wanted to make a good impression on her, as stupid as it sounded. Her and Punk just wanted her to feel part of the family which she was. The little bickering with Nova wasn't anything they were worried about, they were two little girls, around the same age, who wanted their own way, they were bound to step on one another's toes.

Punk eventually took Cheryl home. He was happy with how things were going with them. Cheryl seemed to enjoy his company, as well as AJ's, and he hoped his role as brother was starting to play out not so bad.

When he got home, Nova had already been bathed and AJ was in the midst of putting Nova to bed when he walked into her bedroom.

"I'll tuck her in." Punk nodded to AJ who just smiled, leaning down and kissing Nova's head as she walked by Punk and left her daughter's bedroom, "Hey, darlin'." Punk smiled, walking over to bed and crouching down by her bedside as Nova just lay on her back not looking at him. Something was definitely wrong with her. He knew her too well, "What's wrong?" He asked gently.

"Nothing." Nova said quietly.

"You've not been right all day." Punk noticed, "And you got mad at Cheryl, made her feel real sad. She's part of this family now, Nova." Punk said.

"She's going to take you away from me and you're gonna be gone like the last time and you won't be here." Nova shook her head, "And it'll just be me and mommy and Maggie and you won't be here." She sighed as Punk frowned. He'd come to terms with the fact that perhaps AJ and Nova would never quite heal from those four years he had been gone. He was convinced he wouldn't heal from it either.

"Baby, I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here. Wherever you are, I'm staying." Punk promised, "And Cheryl isn't gonna take me away from you. She's my sister. You're my daughter. That's a huge difference, trust me." Punk cupped her cheek as she moved his hand away.

"No, she's gonna be your new best friend and then you'll forget all about me." Nova sighed dramatically, "I don't want you to tuck me in, I want mommy." Nova folded her arms over herself with a petted lip.

"Nova, c'mon sweetheart-"

"I want mommy." Nova demanded, turning around on her side so her back was facing him as Punk just sighed to himself. Sometimes he felt like he was taking gigantic steps backwards.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	67. Countdown On

**Countdown On**

* * *

The next morning, Punk got Nova up for school, not really knowing how she'd react considering she'd had a little bit of an off day with them yesterday, specifically him. He didn't try and get her to talk last night. She was in bed and just wanted to go to sleep, so he let AJ tuck her in. Of course he then discussed with AJ what was bothering her, and they concluded that, just like them, she just still hadn't quite gotten over those four years here it was just her and AJ. It was like she still believed he was going to go away, and it was just going to be her and AJ again. He hated that she felt like that, and he knew he had to set the whole thing straight.

"Noves, you want cereal or toast?" Punk asked, looking over at Nova sitting at the kitchen table quietly.

"I don't mind." Nova just shrugged as Punk nodded, grabbing a bowl and making her cereal up, walking over to the table and sitting the bowl in front of her as he sat across. AJ was still in bed and Maggie was still fast asleep, otherwise he would have given her a bottle.

"Last day before the weekend." Punk smiled as Nova just concentrated on her cereal, taking a fruit loop at a time, enjoying playing with her food most often than not, "You still upset?" Punk asked her as Nova arched a brow and looked at him, just like AJ would do had he asked a question she didn't want to answer.

"I wasn't upset." Nova said childishly.

"You were." Punk said, "You were very upset actually."

"I wasn't crying." Nova said.

"You don't have to cry to be upset." Punk said, "I know that you and Cheryl maybe aren't the best of friends, but she's a little part of our family now, and that doesn't mean that she's gonna steal me away, it just means that she might be around sometimes, which is a good thing." Punk nodded.

"You like her better than me." Nova said, taking a fruit loop out her bowl and giving it to Ace to eat who was sitting beside her.

"Nova, you're being a baby." Punk told her firmly as Nova glared at him, "You're my daughter. I love you and I'm not leaving. You are my family. You, mommy and Maggie. That's us. It's just us four. But Cheryl is in the family too. Just like Grandpa Dan is." Punk explained, "Does Grandpa Dan ever steal me from you?" He asked her.

"No." Nova grumbled.

"Well then Cheryl won't either." Punk said, "You just have to have a little more patience with all of this. Remember all the things David helped you with?" He asked her, "You and Cheryl could become great friends if you put the effort in." He nodded as Nova sat quietly, "You can't lash out the way you did. Ok?" He said as Nova just nodded, "I promise you, no one could ever replace you in my life. No one at all." He said, "And I'm never going to leave you and mommy and Maggie. I'm gonna be here forever."

"Forever?" Nova raised a brow, "That's a… long time." She huffed dramatically as Punk smiled.

"Forever and ever. You're not getting rid of me." He told her as she smiled, "No, but seriously… I just want you to get to know Cheryl. She's a part of the family. She… She means a lot to me, and it'd be great for me if you got on with her." Punk nodded.

"I guess I could share my snack with her today." Nova nodded, as if trying to fit it into her busy schedule, "And I have gym class today. I could be her partner." Nova shrugged as Punk smiled.

"That'd make me really happy." Punk nodded, "And you two might just get on great." He said, "I just don't ever want you to feel like you're being replaced. You never could be. You understand that?" He asked her.

"Yeah." Nova nodded.

"And you know you can't get angry like that? What did David say about anger?" Punk asked her.

"It makes people do bad things when they don't mean to." Nova said.

"And?" Punk nodded.

"And?" Nova repeated back to him.

"And anger is one letter short of danger." Punk said. Normally when Nova tried to deal with certain situations she didn't like, she used anger, and Punk didn't know if it was something she'd taken from him or AJ, since they could both be pretty angry people, but he knew it was something she'd been working on with David especially.

"And I shouldn't get into danger." Nova recited as Punk nodded.

"That's right." Punk said, "I just want you to be happy, baby." Punk nodded.

"Sorry, daddy I didn't mean to be angry." Nova shook her head, beginning to feel bad. She wasn't mad at her father last night by any means. Maybe it was just the change in routine, or the fact she didn't really know Cheryl that well, or the fact that she did see her father paying more attention to Cheryl than her. It was just little things that had added up, and she may have been young, but she was old enough to now when she was in the wrong.

"It's ok, baby." Punk smiled to her, "You finish your breakfast and we'll get going, ok?" He smiled as Nova nodded.

He knew there were times to come in the future where Nova's room door would be slammed in his face, hopefully when she was a little older and not anytime soon, but these little fights were healthy, and it was preparing him as a dad. He felt stronger for it, and deep down he knew that Nova knew he wasn't going anywhere. Sometimes she just got a little flutter of fear, and that was normal.

* * *

Once Nova had finished her breakfast, Punk took her to school, driving ten minutes to drop off her as he helped her out the car and in through the school gates, "Make it an amazing day, ok?" Punk said, crouched down in front of her, hands on her small waist as she held the straps of her backpack and nodded, "Learn lots and fun." He said, reaching forward and kissing her head as Nova smiled.

"Bye, daddy!" Nova exclaimed, waving as she ran off down the playground to get to her teacher waiting.

He stood back up straight and waited until Nova disappeared, pausing and smiling as he watched her meet Cheryl who was waiting at the door, watching as Nova made the effort to talk to her, watching a conversation flow between them that made him smile like crazy.

He bumped into Vanessa on his way out who thanked him for having Cheryl over for dinner last night. She was a very humble and respectful woman, and Punk could respect that, especially after all the poor woman had gone through, now being a single mother.

"She had a great time." Vanessa smiled, standing outside her car which was parked just a few metres from Punks, "I'm glad you're making effort with her. From my perspective, it's… well it's nice to know someone else out there cares about her." Vanessa nodded.

"She's my sister. I might not see her every day, but… I wanna be in her life, I wanna be there for her. She's great. April loved her, and I think… I think with a little bit of time, her and Nova could warm up to each other." He said as Vanessa smiled.

"That would be great. It's what she needs." Vanessa nodded, "I just don't want her to grow up and feel like she just has me to depend on." She said, "You're a good man."

"Stop." Punk waved his hand, "She's family. I'll be here for anything she needs." Punk nodded as Vanessa smiled.

"Thank you." She nodded, "I uh… I better get off to work. I know it's coming up for those trials soon, but… any time you want to see Cheryl, just let me know. Or even vice versa, I… I wouldn't mind watching your girls if you needed to go out." Vanessa said, "It's the least I could do."

"Vanessa, me… having contact with Cheryl doesn't need rewarded. She's my sister. I want to do this for me, and for her." Punk said, "But… I'm not doing it to get a reward or any praise." Punk assured her.

"Oh, I know." Vanessa smiled, "But I'm saying I wouldn't mind if you wanted a night alone with your girlfriend, or if you're going back to work. I could see my own work schedule and… take the girls out. Maggie too." Vanessa nodded, "Maybe you don't feel like you're doing anything out of the ordinary, but it does mean a lot to me that you're making this effort with Cheryl." Vanessa nodded as Punk just smiled.

"I'll keep it in mind." Punk nodded, "Thank you." Punk smiled as Vanessa just nodded.

"I better get off then." Vanessa nodded, getting in the car after saying goodbye to Punk whilst he got in his own car to drive back home. He appreciated how grateful Vanessa was, but he never set out to get praised for getting to know his own little sister. He wanted to know her, and be in her life, not just because she had no one else, but because he wanted to really be there for her.

* * *

Punk got home around ten minutes later, walking up the apartment stairs and in through the door where he walked around into the kitchen, spotting AJ standing with Maggie in her arms feeding her a bottle.

"Morning." Punk smiled as AJ smiled back, "What's with the look on your face?" Punk asked, noticing a certain high around her that was unusual for this time in the morning.

"Morning, I love you too." AJ laughed a little as Punk took his jacket off and sat it over one of the chairs, walking over to them and smiling on at Maggie, taking her tiny hand in his and kissing it softly as she was too buys guzzling her bottle, "I'm just off the phone." AJ said.

"With who?" Punk asked.

"Our estate agent." AJ bit her lip trying not to smile to give anything away, but she was terrible at it.

"What did she say?" Punk raised his eyebrows as AJ nodded.

"They're closing in on our offer." AJ smiled, "We got the house." She nodded as Punk grinned, shaking his head in disbelief, but a good kind of disbelief, "We really got it." AJ said with surprise.

"Oh my God." Punk said, "We got it?" He smiled to her as she nodded.

"Yeah." AJ smiled, "I couldn't believe it. I mean she told us there'd be a good chance but… I thought someone would offer higher." AJ shook her head, "I-I can't believe we've got our own house." She shook her head.

For something that she was absolutely terrified of doing, she had managed to fall in love with the idea of having their own house. All she needed was to take it at her own pace, and that's just what they did, and now she was ecstatic about them getting the house they both loved. She couldn't wait to move in already, although she was going to miss the apartment dearly. It was their first home together, a place where they brought both their daughter's home to, but it was also a place that she'd spent many sleepless nights in by herself. Moving house to her, signalled a fresh start.

"Are you excited?" Punk smiled to AJ who nodded.

"I really am." AJ nodded, "I-I can't wait." She grinned happily as Punk smiled, walking closer to her and cupping her cheeks as he pressed a soft kiss on her lips all the while she kept feeding Maggie.

It was an exciting time, a positive beginning… a new beginning they could look forward to… after the trials.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! The reason I've dragged the trials out for so long is because I wanted to give the family a lot of chapters of healing, because it's what they deserve, and also I wanted you all in suspense for the trials and what's going to happen… it's all kicking off in the next chapters so stay tuned and REVIEW! Thanks.**


	68. Moved In

**Moved In**

* * *

"April, what the hell is in this box?" Dean groaned, walking into the new house of AJ and Punk's. It was final moving day, 8 weeks later. It took a little while for them to get the keys, and of course it took them quite some time to pack up everything. It had been a stressful few weeks, but actually… it had taken their mind off of the trials that were taking place in just two days time.

"That's just some old cases. I photocopied my own." She waved her hand, taking the box from him with ease as Dean just shook his head, "This can go upstairs somewhere." She said, sitting the box at the bottom of the stairs. Stairs. Stairs in their own home. It still felt surreal.

"Where is Punk?" Dean asked, "That's all the boxes from the van unloaded." He told her.

"Then that's everything." AJ smiled with a sigh of relief, "He was handing in the keys to Garry at the old apartment." AJ said. It felt surreal to call it their old apartment, and to now have their own home, in a little street of their own, with their own upstairs and downstairs, and their own garden, front and back, and a driveway to park the car. It was all very grown up.

"Do you want me to drive you back to the apartment?" Dean asked her.

"Yeah. Ok." AJ smiled, "I'll lock up here." She nodded.

"I'll tell the moving van they're good to go. I'll get you out in the car." Dean nodded to her, leaving the house as AJ headed to lock up.

They'd been moving for a few weeks now. All the furniture they had to move was now moved in, beds, couches, dressers, things along those lines. Now they had just been unloading the finishing touches, boxes of pictures, books, ornaments, work files etc. They still had to do some decorating upstairs for the girls' rooms, but Punk assured AJ it wouldn't take long.

AJ locked the house up and joined Dean in the car. Every time she got a look at the house from outside she just couldn't help smile. She couldn't believe she was scared of this, scared of moving forward, scared of building a better home for her family. Now that she had, she felt stupid for not wanting to, but she did have her reasons back then.

"Is this you guys handing in the keys now for good?" Dean asked after driving AJ to the apartment, waiting outside as AJ took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yeah." AJ smiled, "A lot of… great things happened in that apartment. We brought two babies home there. And… And even before we were together, when we were just friends." AJ nodded, "But you can take memories with you. The good ones anyway." She said as Dean nodded.

"You guys probably needed this." Dean told her truthfully, "A new start after all the shit that's happened. A new place to build new memories." He smiled to her as AJ nodded, "I'm sure you'll miss this little place for sentimental reasons, but… I think this move is good for everyone." He said as AJ nodded.

"Nova loves it." AJ nodded happily, "She can… she can play in the garden, her and Maggie." She said, "And she's so excited to decorate her new room. Well… more so tell us how she wants her room decorated." AJ said as Dean smiled, "I didn't think I'd be this… excited about it, but I am." She nodded as Dean smiled.

"You're allowed to be." Dean laughed a little, "I know that Punk is loving how happy you are about it."

"He's happy too." AJ smiled, "We-We needed this. Before these trials and… whatever is gonna happen, we needed this. It's kept us busy." She said.

"Well you know we're all here for you guys these next few days. Soon it'll be all over. Those monsters will be locked behind bars forever and… you can carry on in life." Dean said as AJ nodded.

"I just hope I don't freeze up there." AJ admitted. Of course, as being the prime victim in everything, she was going to stand up in court and give evidence. She'd done it plenty of times but never on behalf of herself. She was a little frightened that she'd panic, and of course it was going to be hard, having to relive that terrifying time where she thought she and her baby were going to die, but she knew it'd all be over soon enough.

"You'll be ok." Dean nodded, "Just think… they're going to a cell and… you're gonna come home to your family. Your kids. Punk. Your friends. People who love you. Those… animals won't ever know that feeling. They've chose not to know that feeling." He said, "We've all got your back." He placed his hand on her shoulder as she smiled.

"Thank you." AJ smiled, placing her hand atop of his, "I better get in here. Say goodbye to this old place." She said.

"Well enjoy." Dean smiled as AJ got out of the car, closing the door over as Dean drove off.

AJ walked into the apartment door, walking up the stairs to their floor as she walked on into the apartment where Punk was unhooking the key from his car keys, sitting it down on the kitchen counter as AJ walked into the bare apartment. It was just a huge opened space now. The rooms were all empty, and it no longer felt like their home anymore. It was time to move on.

"Hey, did Dean drop you off?" Punk asked.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "He finished off unloading all the boxes. Now we just gotta unpack the last few and we're… we're all set." AJ said with a sigh of relief as Punk nodded.

"I'm gonna go to the store later and get whatever paint we need for the girl's rooms. Hopefully we can get them done within the next few days." He said as AJ nodded, "Finding it tough yet?" He smiled to her.

"You know what, I'm actually feeling ok." She said, "I feel like this is our chance to leave all those… horrid things that happened behind, take just the good memories with us." She nodded.

"Yeah." Punk agreed, "You remember when you first got this place? Few weeks after you joined the force at the station." He smiled as she nodded.

"I do." AJ folded her arms with a smile, "First time I felt like I had my shit together." She smiled, looking around at the bare apartment.

" _It's nice, right?" Young AJ smiled, turning to Punk who walked in after her to the bare apartment that she had just claimed hers, after lodging with Eve for what felt like forever. It was the first place she'd ever had to herself, and she had fallen in love with it the second she viewed it._

 _They'd just been out on the beat, and she had asked Punk if he wanted to see her new place. She'd been his rookie for a few weeks now, and she already felt like he was her best friend._

" _It's alright, I suppose." Punk nodded, placing his hands in his pockets and walking around, a slight echo to the place since there was not any furniture in it yet, "I'll give you a hand if you're moving things in." He told her._

" _Well I'm sort of… starting from scratch." She smiled nervously, "Might take me a while to get everything looking good." She said._

" _So you're gonna buy like an item every month? Should probably start with the bed first." He teased as AJ rolled her eyes._

" _I got money, Brooks. I just want to make sure I spend it reasonably." She said as he just smiled, walking over and looking out the glass windows._

" _If only we were all as responsible and ready for the world like you, April." Punk smiled, turning back around to her, "So, you here for life or is this just gonna be a stomping ground for a few years until you find someone and settle down."_

" _You're such a cliché." AJ rolled her eyes, folding her arms, "I'm not finding anyone. They can come find me." She said, "All I know is, right now I love this place, and… it's about the only home I've ever felt like I've had." AJ admitted truthfully as Punk nodded, pushing his jokes aside as he saw how much this meant to her._

" _Well, jokes aside." He said, "It's a great place. It's big. Modern. You should be proud." He smiled to her as she smiled back softly._

" _I am."_

"I'm gonna miss it." AJ nodded, standing in the centre of the room where the couch used to be as Punk crept up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder and kissing her cheek, "But we're moving on, and… as long as it's the four of us. We could go anywhere and I'd be happy." She nodded.

"Yeah, me too." Punk whispered, "We'll take the good stuff with us. Leave all the bad shit, the bad memories behind." He nodded, "Start over."

"Yeah." AJ nodded, feeling herself get a little teary now that it was all said and done, placing her hands over Punks which were around her waist, "We've got a new home now. I think it's gonna be a good one." She smiled to herself.

"My home is wherever you are, sweetheart." Punk smiled, kissing her cheek again as she smiled to herself, "Time to move on." He said.

"Yeah, time to move on." She smiled, blinking her tear away as she turned around, wrapping her arms around him tightly as he hugged her back, standing in the centre of the bare apartment.

* * *

Later that night, after they picked Nova up from school, and they picked Maggie up from Punk's dads, they were finally spending their first night in the new house. There wasn't much that needed done besides the girls rooms, everything else was all pretty fresh and cleaned up.

Since Nova's room wasn't ready, she had managed to convince her parents to let her sleep in beside them, which they of course agreed to. Maggie was in her little portable crib for the time being next to Punk's bed side. There was a certain comfort that they found having the girls sleep in beside them.

"She's asleep." AJ whispered to Punk, playing with Nova's hair as she lay up in between them in bed, having been watching the TV with them until she passed out from exhaustion.

"Slide her down a little." Punk said as they got their near six-year-old comfy and tucked in, the only light in the room coming from the TV.

"She loves this place." AJ smiled quietly to him as Punk nodded.

"I know I was scared incase she'd feel homesick." Punk said, "David did say that… moving might be able to help her move on to, she might be able to forget better about what happened to her." Punk said as AJ nodded.

"I hope so." AJ smiled, stroking Nova's cheek softly, "I just hope we can get through these next few days now." AJ nodded, "I just want to move on. I want to… get back to work, move on, put everything behind us."

"Yeah, me too." Punk smiled softly to her, "We'll do it together." He nodded, "They don't stand a chance. It's… It's gonna be over before you know it." He said, reaching his hand over and cupping her cheek softly as she smiled, taking his hand and kissing it with a smile.

"Hey, why am I down here?" Nova grumbled, waking up again as Punk and AJ looked down at her, "Who moved me?" She asked grumpily as she pushed herself to sit back up against the headboard.

"You fell asleep, baby." Punk smiled a little, brushing her dark hair from her face as Nova gasped dramatically.

"I was only resting my eyes, daddy." Nova informed him, "The movie hasn't finished." She told them, pointing to the TV in the room as Punk just nodded.

"Mhm." Punk just hummed, looking over at the crib where Maggie was, sound asleep. He felt blessed to have his family all here with him, it was exactly what they needed in order to face the trials in the next few days. It wasn't going to be easy, but coming home to this didn't make it seem so difficult.

"We can watch the rest tomorrow morning if you're tired, bug." AJ smiled, running her hands through Nova's hair gently.

"No, mommy I wanna watch it tonight." Nova said, resting in against her side.

"Well I'm going to sleep." Punk said, "So keep it down both of you." He teased, sliding down the bed onto his back as Nova watched him close his eyes, grinning up to her mother cheekily as AJ nodded with encouragement.

Nova pinched Punk's cheek as Punk opened his eyes, looking up at her giggling as he smiled.

"You better not do that during the night." Punk warned playfully.

"He's a grumpy sleeper, Nova." AJ smiled, "He sometimes kicks me during the night."

"I think you'll find you're the one who kicks me." Punk replied as AJ just shook her head.

"Go to sleep daddy." Nova told him, "You're making too much noise." She said, putting her small hand over his mouth whilst she looked on at the TV as AJ and Punk laughed lightly.

Punk pretended to bite her hand off as she giggled loudly, feeling Punk begin to tickle her as he sat up, "The tickle monster is gonna get you." He smiled, tickling Nova as she laughed uncontrollably and shimmied around the bed beside him as AJ smiled. There would be nothing more important than this. With this sense of family, they could face anything. Even the trials.

* * *

 **A/N: I know I said in the previous chapter that the trials would be next but I wanted to have them move into their new home first. The trials are definitely coming up next… but will they go how everyone is expecting them to go? Stay tuned. REVIEW and let me know what you think!**


	69. Trial One

**Trial One**

* * *

"I thought I was going to be ok." AJ gasped, standing in the toilets in the court with Eve as she gasped for air, trying to calm down as she placed her hands over by the sink bowl, looking at herself in the mirror as she saw a ghostly reflection. She thought she was ok. She thought she was strong enough to face this. But something just came over her. She felt nauseous and light-headed. Just the thought of seeing their faces. The face of the woman who tied her to a bed and took her baby from her, literally straight from her, and the face of the man who snapped her daughter's arm, who helped in the plotting and preparing.

"Just take a deep breath." Eve nodded, rubbing AJ's back gently. They had all come to show AJ and Punk support. Nova and Maggie were with Dan, who volunteered to stay behind and watch them.

"I thought I could do this." AJ shook her head.

"You can do this." Eve nodded with encouragement, "You can and you will. It is just those two. They have nothing else to go on. It's two mentally unstable people against a full court room. You are going to take them down, just like you do with every other case. This is no different." Eve nodded as AJ sighed, rubbing her forehead, "Here, take a drink." She said, getting a bottle of water out of her bag and handing it to AJ who took it with a shaky hand and unscrewed the cap to take a drink.

"April…" Punk knocked on the bathroom door, "Everything ok in there?" He asked.

"Uh… yeah. Yeah, fine." AJ said.

"Ok. They're saying five minutes." He said as AJ took a deep breath.

"Ok. I'll be out in a minute." AJ said to him whilst giving Eve the bottle of water back, straightening herself up and getting herself together as she took slow, deep breaths.

"You've got this." Eve nodded, "We'll be right there in the gallery." She said as AJ nodded.

"I've got this." AJ nodded to herself, "Ok." She said, leaving the toilet as Eve followed, finding Punk in the waiting area where Dean, Seth and Rocky were standing in suits.

"You good?" Punk asked her as she nodded.

"Yeah. I just want to get it done." AJ said as Punk nodded.

"We'll be right there. Just… look at me the entire time if you have to." Punk nodded.

"No, I want to look at her." AJ spat, "I want to make sure she and everyone in that court room knows exactly what she done."

"I know you do, but… remember… there's gonna be a defence, there's gonna be questions. You need to be ready for whatever they ask." He said as AJ nodded.

"I will be." AJ said.

"April Mendez?" A court attendant appeared as AJ turned around, "We're ready for you in the stand now." He said as AJ nodded, turning back to Punk who gulped.

"I'll be ok." She promised, leaning up and pressing a soft kiss on his lips, "You guys go." She smiled to them all. They had to go in different doors since AJ was going to give her evidence, whilst they were all sitting back in the gallery.

"It'll all be over soon." Punk nodded, cupping her cheeks and kissing her head softly as AJ nodded, squeezing his hands tightly before breaking apart and going their separate ways. AJ's heart was beating rapidly, but she wanted to make sure that Abigail got everything she deserved, and that meant she had to be composed and ready for any questions.

Punk and the rest of them got into the gallery. Punk paused a little when he saw Abigail sitting over in the dock beside the judge, a corrective service officer standing beside her as she sat with handcuffs on. She certainly wasn't getting any special treatment.

"Ok, keep walking." Dean patted Punk on the back as Punk nodded, walking down the aisle and taking a seat on the benches, the rest following in behind.

Punk kept his eyes on Abigail as she eventually locked her own eyes on him. She still looked as insane as before, but she looked way too calm and collected. She was sitting like she was at a tea party. It angered him to see her so unbothered when they had all suffered so much from her actions.

His eyes immediately went from Abigail to AJ who appeared through the side door and took to the stand to give her evidence to the judge. He kept his eyes on her the entire time. He could see how nervous she was, yet she stayed calm the entire time.

AJ gave her evidence, her full story on what had happened. She spoke officially, and with such elegance, which wasn't easy to do in a full courtroom, and Punk was extremely proud of her.

"Is it true there was no physical violence used against you from my client?" The defence attorney asked from across his table after AJ had finished speaking, moving on to cross-examination, "Yes or no?"

"No. I was physically tied to a bed and forced to give birth. What isn't physical about that?" AJ spat as the judge leaned back and listened closely.

"Did my client ever confess a want to hurt you or your unborn child? Yes or no?" He asked again.

"No. But-"

"And did my client seem sane to you, Miss Mendez?" The attorney asked.

"No." AJ said.

"You could almost say it's like she wasn't treated for her illness." He eyed AJ closely, "Is it true you have bipolar disorder?" He asked as AJ shook her head with confusion.

"What are you-"

"Answer the question." He said as AJ turned to the judge who nodded to her.

"Yes." AJ nodded.

"So could it be true that you blew this whole thing out of proportion?"

"No." AJ spat, "I am not mentally insane. Not like her." AJ pointed across to Abigail, "You have no way around this. You're defending not only a murderer, but a kidnapper. A child kidnapper."

"Your honour, I'd like to point out that my client is and has been mentally ill, and has been ignored the right medication for years." The attorney turned to the judge who folded his arms, "Had she been treated by the state with the right medication. Had she been taking seriously… perhaps it would have prevented her from these crimes." He said.

"Wasn't her husband a doctor?" The opposing side asked who were defending AJ and Punk, "Yes or no?" The man smirked.

"Yes, but that's beside-"

"You see your honour… the defence has no arguments other than to take my client down personally, rather than ask questions about the actual crime, because they know just as well as I do that this woman has committed triple homicide, kidnap, fetal abduction and child kidnap." The opposing attorney said, "Now we've heard both arguments, both sides, there's really no hard decision." He said as AJ nodded from the stand.

The judge sat up straight after listening to the statements and all the evidence that both sides had given, turning to AJ and nodded, "Thank you, Miss Mendez. You may stand down." He said as AJ nodded, stepping down from the stand and walking ahead, pausing for a second as she came into full view of Abigail who was sitting leering at her.

"Keep walking, April." Punk whispered to himself as he watched AJ pause and glare across at Abigail.

"Thank you, Miss Mendez." The judge said louder as AJ snapped out of it, turning back around and opening up the small gate into the gallery, taking a deep breath of relief a she walked over to her boyfriend and friends, taking a seat as Punk placed his hand on her knee, kissing her head softly as she leaned into him.

"Ok, after listening to… both sides, and the evidence, under section 82 of the powers of Criminal courts sentencing act 2000, it is clear that Miss Wyatt is not fit for prison." The judge said as AJ and Punk narrowed their eyebrows.

"Bastards." Punk whispered.

"However, I do find you, Miss Abigail Wyatt, guilty of triple homicide, fetal abduction and kidnap, and under section 37, along with my contact with the mental health tribunal prior to reading your psychiatric reports that were taken whilst you have been held in jail, I will order you to a mental health hospital, for you to carry out your life imprisonment, with the agreement from two registered medical practitioners." He said, "I'm adding a restriction order on top of your order, which means you will carry out full imprisonment in the hospital that you're transferred to, and will have no option to ever leave given the severity of your crimes that have been committed." He said as the room fell silent.

"That is my final verdict." The judge nodded, "You will be held in remand for the time being until the next trial for Mr Bray Wyatt. In the case of any other evidence coming to light, the case will not close until both trials have been carried out." The judge said, "Trial two will be in three day's time." He said, banging his hammer on the desk as the room began to spill out as AJ sat still beside Punk.

"That's it? A fucking hospital where she gets delicate care?" Punk spat.

"She's mentally ill what did you expect?" AJ shook her head tiredly, rubbing her forehead tiredly, looking up as she watched Abigail get escorted back down to the chambers, watching closely as she smirked across to AJ who gulped.

"She's not mentally ill. She's playing that card for an easy way out. She's evil and she knows what she's doing." Punk spat, standing up with frustration and leaving the room as AJ sat quietly.

"You did great up there." Dean said, sliding over to AJ who just sighed and shook her head.

"I don't even feel like we have closure." AJ swallowed the lump in her throat, standing up as they began to leave the room as Dean wrapped his arm around her.

"It's not over yet, that's why." Dean said, "Once it's all finished, you'll feel better. This is the hard part right now. The waiting." He said, leaving the room and getting back into the waiting room, "Just a few more days and it'll all be over."

"He can't stand her going anywhere but prison." AJ said, looking over at Punk who was sitting in the waiting area looking down at the ground.

"He's just caught up in everything. It's a hard time for you guys to… relive all of this shit. He just wants her to pay like we all do, but… she's still getting imprisoned, just… not behind bars." Dean said, "Honestly, she'd probably end up dead if she went to a normal prison."

"I think that's what he wants." AJ sighed, looking over at Punk who was running his hands over his face.

"Go talk to him." Dean encouraged as AJ nodded, walking over to Punk and taking a seat beside him.

"You ok?" AJ asked, taking his hand in hers softly.

"She kills three people, she kidnaps you, she physically and mentally abuses you, she takes our daughter… and… and she gets sent to a hospital for care?" Punk turned to her, "Do you think that's fair?"

"I think it's probably the best option the judge could have made." AJ nodded as Punk just shook his head, "Baby, she might be evil, but… she's not well, and just because she's going to a hospital doesn't mean she's still not being imprisoned. She's there for life. She'll die there. She'll never be out again. That's still in imprisonment. If she was in a normal prison, she'd just be killed or kill herself, one of the two." She said, "Don't you want her to rot for the rest of her life? That's what she's gonna do."

"It just doesn't seem like a punishment, especially with what she's done." Punk shook his head as AJ nodded.

"I know, but… it's still a form of punishment, and she's there for life." AJ said, "That's good enough for me." She nodded as Punk just sighed, rubbing his nipping eyes.

"You were good up there. Brave." Punk turned to her with a small smile.

"I felt sick." AJ smiled nervously, "I'm just glad that part is over." She admitted truthfully, "We just gotta keep cool heads. Soon this… this will all be over for good." She said as he nodded. They took turns at reassuring one another, it was how they worked.

"I know." Punk said, placing his hand on her knee softly, "I just want to get home and see the girls." He admitted truthfully. All the talk of reliving what had happened just made him want to go home and squeeze his daughter's tightly.

"Let's go." AJ smiled, kissing his cheek softly before standing up and leaving the court with their friends, speaking to a few people before leaving of course like their attorney, different generals and members of the courtroom.

They were in the heat of the trials. They just had to keep moving forward.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think. I didn't want to make it too long and confusing, and I'm not an expert on law or anything so maybe some of the things written doesn't make sense but you can get the idea hopefully lol.**


	70. Recovery Day

**Recovery Day**

* * *

The next morning, Punk woke up and saw AJ was still fast asleep. Once they had left court the previous day after the trial, they had picked the girls up from Dan's and went home for a quiet night in. It had been a long, exhausting and mentally draining day, and they just wanted some alone time with the girls which is what they got.

It still felt weird to wake up in their new bedroom now. It was a good weird though. For some reason, their new house really was beginning to feel like more of a home than the apartment. The idea that it was their home. They had no neighbours above or below them making noise, they weren't on the corner of a busy street. It really was their own little house for them only, and there was something much more comforting about that.

Punk got up, not being able to lie to long in bed, knowing he wouldn't get back to sleep. He shoved on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt, and tucked the covers back over so AJ wouldn't get cold. The more rest she got, the better. He knew how hard it was for her, him too, but for her giving her statement yesterday. He was so proud of her, and how brave she had been.

He left their bedroom, closing the door over and walking down the hallway, opening up the door to Maggie's nursery, walking on into the room and looking over her crib where she lay awake, not making a sound.

"Morning, baby." Punk smiled to her as she smiled back at her father appearing, kicking her legs excitedly and making babbling noises. He couldn't believe she was five months old. Time had gone by so quickly, and she was getting bigger every day, "You coming for breakfast? Huh? You a hungry girl?" He asked, speaking away to her as he lifted her up and into his arms.

He was halfway through finishing off the girl's rooms, they just needed a little touching up, and things needed to be put back into place properly. He hoped to have it done before the second trial they had to attend in a few days.

"Will we go wake your big sister?" Punk looked at Maggie who had her finger in her mouth, drooling a little on his shoulder as she looked around curiously. She was a nosey baby, that was for sure, "You're drooling all over me. Do you know that?" Punk said as Maggie looked up at him with those big, innocent brown eyes that he could never say no to, then she smiled deviously as Punk chuckled a little. She already had a bubbly little personality forming.

Punk walked across the hall and opened up Nova's room door, walking on in as he saw the bed empty, "She must already be downstairs." Punk said, leaving the room and walking down the stairs with Maggie perched on his hip.

He stood down from the last step, turning in through the living room door slowly as he saw Nova laying up on the couch, Ace lying at her feet whilst her empty bowl of cereal lay on the floor beside her.

"How long have you been up?" Punk asked curiously.

"Not long, daddy." Nova said, sitting up on the couch.

"What are you watching?" Punk asked, looking on at the TV whilst Maggie looked too, fascinated by all the bright colours as she continued to drool on Punk's shoulder with her finger in her mouth.

"Moana, daddy. We watched it last week." Nova told him a little angrily that he didn't notice or remember.

"Ok, ok. I remember." Punk nodded tiredly, taking a seat on the couch beside her, balancing Maggie on his knee whilst he looked on at the TV, "She goes on a mission to save everyone, right?" Punk turned to Nova who nodded.

"And she meets Maui." Nova cheered as Punk nodded.

"Ok, I remember now." Punk told her, "It's early. I'm slow in the morning. You know this." He said.

"I know." Nova said, "I spilled some milk and cereal in the kitchen, daddy. I tried to clean it up but I didn't know what to do so don't give me into trouble." She huffed.

"Yeah, yeah. Accidents happen." Punk waved his hand coolly, standing back up with Maggie, "I'm gonna go make your sisters bottle up, ok?" Punk said as Nova just nodded, paying more attention to the TV as he walked on through the living room and into the big kitchen.

He didn't know if it sounded crazy, but he felt like the girls, especially Nova, were more settled in the house. It was like it was a more secure place for them. Nova had settled in great, and Maggie just the same too. He was glad they were in love with it just as much as he and AJ were.

Punk put Maggie into her little bouncy chair they had set up in the kitchen whilst he made up her bottle, "Maggie, you're gonna have strong legs if you keep that up. You'll be walking on your own tomorrow." He spoke to her whilst making up her bottle.

Meanwhile AJ had woke up, heading downstairs and into the living room where Nova was still sitting watching her film.

"Morning, baby." AJ smiled, "How'd you sleep?" She asked, rubbing Ace softly whilst taking a seat next to Nova on the soft couch.

"I had a good sleep." Nova smiled, "And now I'm watching Moana." She explained as AJ nodded, "Daddy's in the kitchen feeding Maggie." She said as AJ smiled, brushing Nova's messy hair out of her face.

"What do you want to do today, bug?" AJ asked, "You wanna have a lazy day with me? I don't really fancy getting out of my pj's." She admitted truthfully as Nova raised her eyebrows.

"But we can't stay in our pj's _all_ day, mommy." Nova giggled.

"Says who?" AJ nudged her playfully. She woke up feeling a little more heavy than normal, and she didn't feel up to doing much other than laying on the couch all day. She felt like the wind had really been kicked out her sail after the trial yesterday. It was mentally exhausting and all she wanted now was to lay around all day with her family.

"Can we really?" Nova gasped, believing that it was the coolest thing in the world to stay in her pyjamas all day.

"I think it's a good idea, what do you think?" AJ smiled as Nova nodded immediately. AJ always made sure that if she was having an off day or entering a depressive spell, that she'd not necessarily take everyone down with her, certainly not that, but she made sure to acknowledge the goodness around her to lift her spirts, and spending the day on the couch with her family was exactly what she felt she needed. A recovery day.

"Oh, morning." Punk smiled as he entered back through into the living room, holding Maggie in his arms who was taking her bottle greedily.

"Hey." AJ smiled tiredly, "How is my girl?" AJ smiled, standing up and giving Maggie lots of kisses on her cheek.

"Hungry. Usual." Punk nodded as AJ smiled, "How'd you sleep? You were a little restless." Punk said quietly.

"Yeah, I felt all over the place. Even when I was sleeping." AJ admitted truthfully, "Feel like I've woke up with a dark cloud over me." She whispered to him truthfully as Punk nodded. He didn't want to say he expected it, but it made sense.

"One of those days." Punk understood, "Well hey, just have a day in the house then. You sit on the couch with the girls, I'll finish the rooms upstairs and finish up whatever finance things we had to take care of." He said as she nodded, "I might actually go check in on the station later too, make sure everything is going ok." He said as AJ nodded.

"Ok." AJ nodded, "I just feel like yesterday took all of my energy." She admitted, standing in the corner of the living room.

"It was a long, tough day. For us especially." He nodded, "We should take this time to ourselves, before the next trial." Punk said as AJ nodded, looking on at Maggie taking her bottle.

"She'll be starting solids soon. I can't believe how big she is getting." AJ shook her head as Punk nodded, "You hear that, Nova?" AJ turned to Nova who looked over at her parents, "Maggie is gonna be eating proper food soon."

"Oh, really?" Nova gasped excitedly, "Like pizza and mac and cheese and burgers and spaghetti and-"

"Well, no…" Punk said, "More like mushed up things." Punk nodded as Nova made a face.

"Yuck." Nova shook her head, "Why would you give her that?" She didn't understand.

"Well because she's still a baby, and she doesn't have teeth yet." AJ explained.

"Oh." Nova nodded as Punk smiled, turning to AJ who grinned.

"I'll take her if you wanna go get showered." AJ said.

"Are you saying I smell?" Punk raised a brow.

"No, but you do have drool on your shoulder." AJ pointed as Punk nodded.

"She loves her daddy." Punk nodded, passing Maggie over to AJ with the bottle, "Don't you, Mag? You love me." He tickled under her chin, creating a little grin from her as AJ smiled as they crowded around her.

There really was nothing more important than family, and having time for one another, and making time to wake up as a family and go to sleep as a family, especially under the circumstances of what they were dealing with. It was also a major reflection on how far they had come. It was coming up to being a year since Punk had come back from his four-year absence. It was something AJ never took for granted now, that sense of having a full family. She always thought her job would be all she ever needed, but it couldn't have been far from the truth. Family was everything. Their little family.

* * *

AJ spent the day on the couch with Nova in their pj's. Maggie napped on and off in her arms, sometimes having a little playtime on her mat in the centre of the living room. She enjoyed spending the day with her girls. They really did brighten the mood up.

Punk had been busy finishing off the girl's rooms, and he had also checked in on the station. As commissioner, he still liked to be involved with knowing things, even though he was on paid leave given what had happened and how bad his own mental state had gotten at the time.

When he got home from the station later on, he brought food home with him which AJ was ecstatic about, and whilst she got out plates in their big kitchen, Punk unpacked the Chinese food whilst Nova waited patiently and hungrily.

"Ok, I got noodles cause I know you like them." Punk told Nova, "But I also got you chips because sometimes you change your mind on what food you like and don't like." He told her honestly as Nova just nodded in agreement. She did like to pick and choose when she liked certain foods.

"I like noodles today." Nova smiled cheekily to him as he nodded.

"Good." Punk nodded, "Money well spent then."

"Here are plates." AJ walked over, sitting them down as she took a seat with them, "Maggie just went down after her last bottle there." AJ informed Punk who nodded.

"Was she tired?" Punk asked her whilst putting some of the food onto Nova's plate as Nova watched.

"Yeah, actually she was." AJ nodded, "She was playing for a little while on her mat." She said.

"She was being noisy." Nova told her father, "I didn't want a noisy sister." She admitted.

"I didn't want a fussy eater daughter, but we take what we get." Punk shrugged to her as AJ rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Hey, I'm not fussy." Nova said, "You're fussy." She pointed.

"Mhm ok." Punk said casually, "Eat the chicken and noodles first before the chips, please." Punk said as Nova made a face.

"Oh, what?" Nova moaned, "Mommy, do I have to?" She looked across at her mother.

"Yeah, baby." AJ nodded to her, "How was the station?" She asked Punk whilst they dug into dinner.

"In one piece. That's all I need to know." Punk nodded, "A lot of neglected cases though that I'm not happy about." Punk shook his head, "Instead of sending in a sub detective they've had Kent from the station a few hours away covering for his station and ours." Punk shook his head.

"Well that must be impossible." AJ shook her head.

"I've had plenty of phone calls with the board about it, don't worry." Punk nodded, "They wanted me out for a meeting but I explained everything that was going on with the trials, so they're postponing it. They've been great that way, I guess." Punk nodded, giving credit where it was due.

"Well I don't know about you, but I am feeling like… I could be ready in a few weeks to get back to work." AJ nodded, "All the training with Danny, and all the mental rehab we've had together as a family… I feel stronger for it. I feel like I can cope better whenever I'm going through a bad spell." She admitted.

"Yeah, me too." Punk nodded, "We'll see how it goes. There isn't any rush on things, they've been great that way." He said, "How are you feeling now?" He asked her.

"Ok." AJ nodded, "I think all of this would get the best of people down." AJ admitted truthfully, "Spending the day with the girls was nice. I just wish you were around more." She frowned as he smiled.

"I got a lot done today. I finished the rooms. I got our addresses changed over on everything. I went to the station. Sorted out some new bills and payments." He explained.

"Such an adult." AJ smiled to him.

"I know, it's disgusting." Punk admitted truthfully as she laughed, causing him to smile. He loved that laugh.

He then looked down to Nova and saw her leaning back on her chair not touching her food, and then he noticed all her chips were gone and none of the rest had been touched.

"Hey, don't look at me like that." Nova told Punk who was looking down at her, "I'm taking a little rest." She rubbed her tummy as AJ smiled over at them. She did enjoy how much Nova enjoyed playing Punk, and teasing him. It was a complete clash of personalities in her opinion, and she knew they had the best bond, especially given that Punk had only been back for nearly a year.

"I'm taking your birthday presents back." Punk teased.

"Oh, there's presents?" Nova grinned as she knelt up on the chair, placing her hand on Punk's shoulder as she got up close and personal with him, "What presents?" She smirked.

"No presents anymore." Punk smirked to himself as Nova got worried and folded her arms, sitting back down on her bottom and angrily taking her fork.

"Look." Nova said, twirling the noodles around her fork and eating more, "See." She said with a mouthful, "So where are the presents?" She smiled.

"Can't say. Maybe there wasn't even any to begin with." Punk shrugged, "Who knows?"

"You know." Nova said, "I'm not silly."

"Mhm." Punk raised his eyebrows, not so sure.

"Is it a turtle?" Nova smiled as Punk turned to her and shook his head.

"Turtles are in the sea, Nova." Punk said.

"No, no my best friend Ashley has a turtle for a pet." Nova explained to them.

"Are you sure it's not a tortoise?" AJ asked.

"Whatever, it's the same thing." Nova waved her hand.

"We're not discussing any birthday presents with you." Punk told her as Nova just stared at him angrily, "Don't look at me with those beady little eyes either." Punk said as AJ smiled a little.

"I don't want any presents anyway, I have everything I need." Nova turned it around with a smirk.

"That's a nice thing to say." AJ smiled as Punk smiled too.

"But that bike was pretty cool that I showed you, mommy. Right?" She smiled to her mother as AJ nodded along.

"It was." AJ nodded as Punk smiled, "Do you want a birthday party?" She wondered.

"Yeah!" Nova smiled as Punk glared across at AJ, "Yeah, a party with all my friends." Nova smiled.

"Daddy can plan it." AJ smirked to Punk who groaned whilst focusing back to his food.

"All my class mates." Nova smiled.

"All of them?" Punk said, "So like… the boys too?" He asked her as AJ rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, duh." Nova nodded.

"Duh?" Punk shook his head, "You have boy friends?" Punk wondered.

"Yeah." Nova said, "I speak to Charlie and Peter the most." She informed him as Punk just nodded.

"Stupid names." Punk whispered to himself as AJ kicked him under the table.

"Can I really have a party?" Nova asked with excitement.

"Yeah, baby." AJ smiled, enjoying how excited she already was, knowing already that her boyfriend wasn't ready for the chaos of a house full of screaming Nova's.

"All of your class?" Punk asked tiredly.

"All of them." Nova smiled.

"Daddy will plan it all, baby. He's a great party planner." AJ teased as Punk just glared her way.

"No party unless you eat something that isn't chips." Punk said grumpily.

"Ok." Nova said simply, beginning to eat more as Punk just shook his head, catching AJ grinning to him as he couldn't help smile.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	71. All For Nothing

**All For Nothing**

* * *

"You guys ready for this again?" Seth asked, meeting AJ and Punk in the waiting room of the courthouse again. They all wanted to be there to support AJ and Punk. Eve unfortunately couldn't come this time as she had to stay behind to watch Tyler who hadn't long turned one year's old.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "We just want it over with." She nodded, turning to Punk who nodded in agreement, taking her hand in his tightly. They'd had a few days of rehab from the first trial, and they were now ready to face the next one head on, and end all of this once and for all.

"Won't be long now." Dean nodded to them, "Should go pretty smoothly I think." He said.

"Don't jinx it." Punk shook his head seriously.

"Don't worry about it. There's plenty of evidence to take him down." Dean patted Punk on the shoulder, "We can all go out and celebrate after this is all done. Just think about that." He nodded as Punk smiled to him. He appreciated the support they had from their friends. It meant a lot, especially since they didn't have much family besides Punk's dad and little Cheryl who of course wasn't aware of anything going on.

"April, Phil…" Their attorney greeted them as Dean, Seth and Rocky walked off to give them some time to talk alone, "How are we feeling today?" He asked. He had been a great attorney for them all this time, especially when assuring them, as well as taking down the defence as quick as he could.

"We're doing ok, Barry." Punk nodded, "Itching for it to be over." He said as AJ nodded.

"I know." Barry said, "There might be a chance that this case drags out for a few days…"

"But why?" AJ asked sadly like a child.

"Well Abigail was brought into custody because she was found with Maggie at a gas station at 2am. It was also her home that you were found." He looked at AJ, "Bray was taken in at the bar on suspicion. There wasn't any solid proof he had any major part in all of this, and he might play a fool, but I think he'll have a few tricks up his sleeve."

"We have the video evidence." Punk said, "From the CCTV cameras in the apartment, when he took AJ with Abigail." Punk said.

"You can barely see his face. It just looks like any other normal, bigger built guy." Barry told them, "I'm not saying that this could go bad, but I'm telling you guys to not him to admit to anything. If he has any chance at all of getting out of this, he is going to take it." Barry said as AJ began to get a nervous feeling in her stomach.

"Why are you saying all of this?" AJ asked worriedly as Punk placed his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"I just want you to be prepared." Barry assured them, "Don't worry, I will fight for you until the end, but I only have so much to go on."

"What do you mean? He played an active part in all of this. He-He snapped my daughter's arm for crying out loud." Punk spat angrily, "Do I have to get her in to make a statement up on the stand?" He spat angrily.

"Calm down, baby." AJ whispered to him.

"Phil, I get this is stressful. I can't imagine what it feels like to look at these people in the eye, knowing what they've done to you and your daughter's, but I'll do everything I possibly can." Barry said.

"We have other evidence to bring to light, right?" AJ asked, "What about the pick-up truck that was used…"

"That was Abigail's. Not Bray's." Barry said, "The man is like a ghost in all of this. That's what I'm saying to you guys. He's never admitted to anything like Abigail did in the interview rooms. She admitted to taking you and the baby and planning to raise it." Barry said, "Bray didn't admit to taking any part."

"But we know he was a part of it." Punk said.

"Yeah, we know." Barry emphasised, "Look, it's my job, I do this every other week, I've got everything I need to take him down and his defence. I just wanted to let you guys know that this could drag out a little longer."

"Great." Punk shook his head.

"Should be ready to go in about five minutes time." He nodded to them, walking off as AJ forced a polite smile and turned to Punk who was scowling to himself.

"Look he can't whip up new evidence out of nowhere. He's just doing his job." AJ nodded to Punk, "Everyone gets what they deserve. I believe that." She said, straightening up his black tie as he sighed looking down at her, "Unfortunately all we can do is sit and watch." She shrugged.

"He's right, you know." Punk said, "We didn't catch Bray in the act of anything. All we have is that CCTV footage and… you really can't see much of him." He nodded, "What if-"

"Shh." AJ shook her head softly, running her hands down his arms, "Let's just keep our heads up." She nodded, "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." Punk nodded, kissing her on the lips softly. They always had each other, and family and stability. That was one thing that would never be taken from them. People had tried to destroy them and people had failed.

Once they had all gotten into the gallery, the trial was underway immediately. It was a pretty long and mentally draining process, but it was hard not to be completely captivated by everything going on.

Punk couldn't take his eyes off of Bray. He wanted to just leap over the gate and spear him to the ground. It was like a fantasy playing out in his head, and the fact that there wasn't any hard evidence for them other than knowing themselves, along with some other loose evidence, was slightly worrying.

It went back and forth, playing out a normal court trial, and it suddenly went downhill when a witness for the defence appeared, playing as an alibi for Bray the night that AJ was taken. It was a heavily bearded man with dirty long hair that took the stand to imply he had been with Bray the entire night in town, as well as providing photographic evidence from a CCTV footage, which Punk and AJ could not understand.

Punk saw it in the judge's face, how it was puzzled and swaying towards a not guilty verdict. He wanted to just let out a loud scream. It got too much where he had to get up and leave as AJ watched him worriedly, having been sitting just as nervous as he was.

Punk couldn't face going back into the trial, so he waited in the waiting area, burying his head in his hands as he sat on one of the soft seats, hoping and praying that something would turn around, but it all seemed to be going in the one direction, and it wasn't in favour of them. How they could pass of Nova's broken arm by saying she was a child and possibly broke it in her sleep was ridiculous to him. How they could say the man in the CCTV footage in the apartment could have been any man was also ridiculous, and how there was a fake alibi testifying on behalf of Bray to help him get off with it all was even more ridiculous. Punk couldn't stand it.

Some more time went by until Punk looked up to see his girlfriend and friends walking out of the door to the gallery area. He looked on at AJ who took a seat beside him whilst their friends kept their distance.

"He got off, didn't he?" Punk asked, not believing this had happened.

"Yeah." AJ nodded softly, placing her hand on his back as he nodded, trying to stay calm, "An alibi, little evidence, a child as the only witness… I guess we underestimated how much we had on him. It was just in our own heads that we saw him a huge part of this." AJ said.

"He was a huge part of this, AJ." Punk said, "So now he's just… he's free to go? Just walk out there like nothing has happened? Like he didn't participate in killing three women, and kidnapping you, and breaking Nova's arm? Just like that?" Punk asked as AJ nodded, watching him stand up and kick the table over in front of them as she jumped a little, watching him walk out of the room in a rage as she sighed to herself. She couldn't even believe this was happening.

* * *

They got home later that night after talking to some advisors in the court… well, AJ spoke to them with the support of Seth, Dean and Rocky. Punk waited outside the entire time for air. He didn't know how to deal with this. She didn't want this to undo all the recovering they had done in the past five months.

As soon as they got home, Punk headed straight upstairs for a shower, having barely said anything on the way home. She walked into the living room where Dan was sitting with Nova fast asleep beside him lying on the couch. It was easier now for him to just come to the house where everything the girls needed was there.

"How did it go?" Dan stood up, speaking quietly so not to wake Nova who had not long fallen asleep. Maggie was also asleep in her crib upstairs.

"Uh… not… not good." AJ nodded, trying to keep herself together, "He… He got off. I think we maybe underestimated just how much we had on him. He didn't admit to a thing. There was no forensic evidence. He brought in a fake alibi to add more fuel to the fire." AJ said.

"Unbelievable." Dan shook his head angrily, "What about the evidence of Nova's broken arm?" Dan spat, completely angry and also extremely upset inside about this.

"They argued that she was just a child. She could have broken it in bed and had a nightmare. But we know it was him." AJ shrugged, "Doesn't matter now."

"But wasn't there footage of him coming out of the apartment with you and that bitch?" Dan asked.

"Yeah but you can't really see him, and the defence argued that Abigail's mental state could have meant she just… picked anyone up from the street to help her." AJ shook her head.

"This is… This is bullshit, April." Dan put his hands on his hips as AJ just took a deep breath, tears welling in her eyes as he watched her, "Are you-"

"Don't. Don't." AJ waved her hand, biting her lip and turning away from him to hold back her tears, "I don't want to get upset about it." She made herself clear, "It's happened. It's done. We have to move on, even if it didn't turn out how we wanted it to." AJ nodded as Dan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Where is Phil?" He wondered.

"He just… he went straight upstairs." AJ said, "He's not dealing with it very well."

"I don't blame him." Dan spat, "How they can just… pass a creature like that off, send him back out into the world after being linked to such… such evil crimes-"

"In their eyes he didn't have anything to do with it." AJ shook her head, "I'm gonna go check on Phil. See if he's ok. I don't hear the shower going on." She admitted as Dan nodded.

"I'll put the kettle on. I think we all need it." Dan sighed as AJ nodded, watching him walk off as she looked down at Nova fast asleep on the couch, smiling to herself. She was really trying so hard not to give herself up to this. They'd come too far.

She left the living room and headed upstairs, walking down the hall and into her and Punk's bedroom where she expected Punk to be heading for a shower like he said, but when she walked into the room, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a sleeping Maggie in his arms against his chest. It broke her heart. A sight that should have been connotated with love and purity, was now an image of fear and worry. He was holding her with fear she'd be taken again.

"Phil." AJ sighed, walking over and sitting down on the edge of the bed beside him, "She's ok." AJ nodded to him as he didn't respond, continuing to hold her to his chest as she slept peacefully.

AJ just rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.


	72. The Fear

**The Fear**

* * *

AJ woke up through the night. It had taken her forever to actually get to sleep, having so much spinning around in her head, but she found it even more hard to stay sleeping when she felt Punk leave the bed and room. She could sense he wasn't sleeping, but she had hoped that he'd drift off and get at least a few hours. It had been a long day in court for them, and to not pass out in bed must have really meant he was thinking about a lot.

She waited five or ten minutes, hoping he'd come back, but she never heard or felt anything, so she got up and left the room to find him.

She didn't have to travel far, as he was literally next door in Maggie's room, sitting on the rocking chair in the corner, folding up a blanket over him as AJ watched sadly.

"Phil." AJ whispered softly, so not to disturb their five-month old baby girl in her crib, "Phil, come back to bed, baby." AJ said.

"I'm just gonna sleep here tonight." Punk said casually.

"You can't sleep on a chair all night." AJ shook her head, folding her arms over as she looked across at him with tired eyes. He looked equally as exhausted as her, and he was clearly fighting sleep deliberately. There was no way she'd let him attempt to sleep on an uncomfortable rocking chair all night.

"I'll be fine." Punk assured her casually as AJ shook her head, walking over to him.

"You don't have to watch her the entire night." AJ said, "She's safe. We can't… We can't let this get to us." She shook her head, "So things didn't go exactly how we wanted to-"

"She got a tap on the wrist and is given help in a mental hospital and he got let off." Punk said, "I'd say we got slapped in the face. Hard." Punk shook his head, "Just… just let me be here, ok? It's not for her. It's for me." Punk said.

"You can't let this take over you. So he's back out there. That doesn't mean we have to put our shields up. He'll… He'll stay away. He's not going to risk anything."

"You don't know that." Punk said.

"I have to believe it." AJ said, "You do too." She told him, "You can't sleep in here every night, just… just waiting for something bad to happen. We can't live like that." She shook her head, "We carry on just like normal. We keep moving forward." She said, "Think about how far we've come. We can't ruin all that now."

"He's out there, April." Punk shook his head, "He helped kill those girls. He took you from the apartment. He…" Punk bit his tongue, "He broke Nova's arm." He said, looking up at AJ, "I can't have him out there and… and not knowing whether or not he's gonna come back."

"He's not going to come back. You can't think negatively." AJ said, "Abigail controlled him. That was clear to see. She would say jump and he's say how far. He had no brain of his own. So now he'll just disappear into nothing, and he won't come near us." AJ said.

"You don't know that-"

"Well we have to believe it, Phil. We can't-We can't let this ruin our lives. We have two girls to raise. A life to live. Work to go to. We need to move on and whether that means he's out there or not, we still have to go about our everyday life the same." AJ said.

"How is this so easy for you?" Punk shook his head.

"Easy?" AJ shook her head, "You think this is easy for me?" She asked him, "This is killing me. Don't you think I wanted to just scream in the court? I'm trying to keep myself together. I'm trying to make sure the girls don't sense that anything is wrong. We have to move on, Phil." She said, "So we lost. Doesn't mean we give up."

"I just… I just want to sit in here for tonight, ok?" Punk said, "I'll be in soon just… just you go back to bed." He nodded as AJ frowned.

"Please don't worry. She's just fine." AJ said, looking over at Maggie in her crib and smiling, "She'll always be fine under our roof." She nodded as Punk sighed, "Her and Nova."

"I'll make sure of it." Punk said.

"Not like this you can't." AJ said, "You'll go out of your mind. We just have to carry on like normal. Like we've been doing all this time. Nothing changes."

"Everything has changed." Punk shook his head as she sighed.

"Not if you don't let it." She said, leaning down and kissing his forehead softly, "Please come back to bed soon." She whispered. She wasn't going to argue with him to come back into bed. She knew he was feeling down, and beaten, and defeated by the fact they hadn't really got much justice for what had happened to them, but she didn't want to give in or give up. Especially not when they had come so far. They couldn't live in fear again.

* * *

The next morning, AJ woke up and got showered, getting ready to tackle the day head first. She knew the best thing for her to do was to just keep carrying on as usual, or at least try to carry on like usual.

She left her bedroom where Punk hadn't slept in at all. He must have stayed in Maggie's room the entire night and then got up to take Nova to school.

AJ walked into Maggie's nursery, looking over the crib at the baby girl as she lay pulling at her toes and gazing up at her.

"Hi, baby." AJ smiled, "Did you have a nice sleep? Huh?" She smiled, tickling her little stomach as Maggie smiled, "Oh, c'mon then." AJ smiled, lifting her up out of her crib, "Will we get you in the bath?" AJ asked whilst walking round the nursery to grab clean clothes, a diaper and other things she needed to get Maggie ready for the day ahead.

She let out little noises as AJ smiled, "Yeah. Time for a bath." AJ nodded with a smile.

She understood why Punk was on high alert now. He really would go to the ends of the earth for both their daughter's, and she loved that, but she just didn't want this to totally take over him completely, to the point where it became an obsession for him to keep the girls safe. In her opinion, they just had to keep going like everything was normal.

AJ bathed Maggie and got her in some clean clothes, taking her downstairs and having breakfast together. It was exciting now since Maggie was starting to try some solid foods like some mashed-up banana. That was her favourite so far.

She didn't want Bray's release to always be a cloud over their head. She just wanted it to be something they could forget about. Things were great for them. They had their new house, their jobs which they were getting ready to get back to, their family, their friends. They'd come such a long way and to go back to living in fear just wasn't an option for AJ.

"Open up." AJ smiled, sitting at the kitchen table feeding Maggie the rest of her banana whilst she sat in her high chair, banging her fists off the plastic table, banana all over her mouth and bib, nevertheless she was having the time of her life, "I think we'll try peaches tomorrow, baby." AJ said, speaking away to Maggie whilst Punk got back into the house from dropping Nova off at school.

"Hey." Punk nodded to her as AJ smiled, "Hey, messy." He smiled down to Maggie, kissing a part of her cheek that wasn't covered in bananas as Maggie grinned up at him and then moaned a little for more of her bananas.

"She's really loving this." AJ smiled, "She loves her fruit. We still need to work on the vegetables." She said. Maggie was way more receipting of fruit than she was of her mashed-up vegetables at dinner time.

"Same as Nova." Punk remembered, "Nova hated all vegetables."

"Still does." AJ chuckled a little, "You were longer than usual." AJ admitted, finishing off feeding Maggie before taking the little dish and spoon she was using and putting it in the sink to wash.

"I stopped into the station on my way home." Punk said, taking out a wipe from the kitchen counter, walking over to Maggie and giving her face and hands a wipe seeing as she had gotten a little sticky, "There. Is that better?" Punk smiled as Maggie watched with fascination as Punk wiped her hands, "You wanna play with it?" Punk asked her, giving her the wipe as Maggie looked at it.

"She's confused." AJ smiled, watching Maggie as she suddenly tried to put the wipe in her mouth.

"Uh… no no." Punk shook his head quickly, taking the wipe back from her, "You can't eat it, baby." Punk shook his head as Maggie just banged her hands off the table and kicked her legs back and forth, "You can kick and make as much noise as you want. Can't eat it." Punk said, putting the wipe in the trash as AJ smiled.

"What did you go to the station for?" AJ asked curiously, "You look exhausted, Phil." AJ sighed.

"I'm fine." Punk waved his hand, "I just popped in to see everyone. Some people just told me they were thinking of us. Obviously, word got around that the trial didn't go to plan." Punk shrugged.

"So what did you go to the station for?" AJ asked with confusion.

"Just to drop by." Punk shrugged as AJ raised a brow, scanning his face slowly as she could tell he was deliberately trying to make sure he didn't tell her what he was up to.

"What are you up to?" AJ asked him, folding her arms.

"What? Nothing." Punk shook his head.

"You're lying." AJ screwed her eyes up at him, walking over to him as she began to feel around his jeans.

"April." Punk scoffed, taking her hands away from feeling around him, "I'm not hiding anything." He shook his head.

"You are." AJ said. Sometimes it sucked that they knew each other so well when trying to hide things.

Punk watched nervously as she grabbed his car keys. She was like a mind reader. She knew things just by the look on a person's face. She truly was a detective, her insticts there would never leave her.

"April, what are you doing?" Punk said as AJ rushed by him and out of the kitchen. He lifted up Maggie from her high chair, not wanting to leave her in the kitchen herself, rushing down the hall and out of the house as she saw AJ open up his car. He groaned to himself.

AJ looked in the two front seats, not finding anything until she checked the back, looking on at the long box sitting along the floor of the car in the back, not being able to sit on the seat because of the girls car seats.

"What the hell is-" AJ paused, unclipping the box locks and folding it opened as she looked at all the guns in the metal case.

Punk stood, holding Maggie round at his hip as he watched AJ look at all the guns. He knew she wouldn't be happy, but he wasn't happy that the man who participated in trying to take his daughter, and broke his other daughter's arm was still out there.

AJ just shook her head, not having anything to say, rushing by him and back into the house as he sighed to himself. He didn't want to upset her, but he no longer felt like they were safe, and he wasn't going to let his daughter's get hurt. He wasn't going to let AJ get hurt. He just hoped it wouldn't take over him completely. A part of him already felt like it was.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	73. Taking It Out

**Taking It Out**

* * *

"What the hell are you thinking, Phil?" AJ asked, turning around in the living room as Punk walked back in after her, placing Maggie down on her mat as she sat staring up at them, holding one of her little teething rings in her hand as Punk sighed.

He pointed to the kitchen, not wanting to fight or even so much as raise their voices in front of Maggie. He couldn't stand that innocent, adorable little face, and she didn't have to be around any sort of conflict, especially between her parents.

AJ carried on through to the kitchen as Punk followed.

"Well?" AJ shook her head.

"It's just some guns." Punk said casually.

"Just some guns?" AJ repeated angrily, "Phil there was a full case of them. What-What were you planning to do with them?" She shook her head.

"Nothing." Punk said, "Just… keep them in the car." He shrugged as she folded her arms, unconvinced, "There's nothing wrong with a few guns. We're cops." He laughed it off.

"That's no excuse." AJ said, "I know you are finding this difficult. We all are. But… But you can't embrace this violence. You can't be sitting in Maggie's room all night surrounded by guns. That's… That's not healthy." She shook her head.

"What if he comes back? Huh?" Punk asked, "What if he comes back for Maggie and he gets her this time. I'm not risking my daughter's life, April."

"And you think I would?" AJ asked him harshly, "The best thing that we could do for Maggie right now, is carry on with a normal life. It's the best thing for Maggie and Nova. We've came so far. We've taken such big steps to overcome so much. We can't take a back seat now just because he's out there." She said.

"Then what are we supposed to do? Just carry on like everything is happy and normal?"

"Yes." AJ nodded, "That's the only thing we can do." She said, "I'm not living my life in fear. And I'm certainly not having you watch over the girls like a hawk, and bringing more guns into this house." AJ said.

"I feel safer that way." Punk said.

"No, the only thing you're doing is making it more apparent that he's out there. I'm scared too, you know." She told him, "But I cannot afford to lose my mind over this. I feel like I've just gotten back to my normal self again. We've been happy. The girls are happy. We were doing great." She nodded, "I don't want that to change."

"Well things have changed." Punk said bluntly, "I can't… I can't just go on pretending like nothing has happened. Like he isn't out there. We don't know what he's thinking or planning-"

"You can't think that way-"

"Well I do!" Punk raised his voice, "After what happened to you last time, after almost losing Maggie, I can't just carry on like you're saying. Not when he's out there."

"He will always be out there. Don't you get it? Is this how you're gonna be now forever?" She asked him.

"Until I know the girls are safe, and he'll never get to them. Then yes." Punk nodded as AJ just shook her head and sighed.

"Phil, this will not work like this. He was released at court. We have nothing on him now. We just have to move on, baby." She sighed as he shook his head.

"I'm not moving on. I can't." Punk shook his head, walking away.

"Phil." AJ sighed, watching him leave the kitchen, listening to the front door bang shut as she sighed, resting her back against the kitchen counter.

* * *

"Do you want your glow bear, baby?" AJ asked later that night in Nova's room after putting her into bed. Punk hadn't been back since he stormed out on her earlier. He'd been gone the entire day and she was getting worried, but she wasn't going to show that in front of Nova.

"Yes please." Nova nodded as AJ reached over for the glow up bear on Nova's bedside cabinet, sitting down on the edge of her bed as she tucked the bear into the covers with her, then brushing her hand through her dark hair and smiling.

"Tired?" AJ smiled.

"Yeah, mommy." Nova rubbed her eyes, "Had a long day. School was hard today." She huffed a little, the same huff a thirty-year-old would make after coming home from a twelve-hour shift.

"That means you were working hard." AJ smiled, pinching her cheek playfully, "Lots of hard work, huh?" She smiled.

"Lots." Nova nodded, "I don't know if I can do it all again tomorrow." She shook her head sadly.

"Oh, you can. You're a smart cookie. And you're like me. You don't give up. You're a Mendez." AJ nodded, flicking under her chin playfully.

"Hey, I'm a Brooks." Nova nodded as AJ smiled.

"You are." AJ nodded, "That comes with a lot of perks too." She smiled, cupping her daughter's cheek softly.

"It's my birthday in a few days. When is my party?" She asked tiredly.

"We'll sort that out, don't you worry." AJ nodded. She wouldn't let Nova down, neither would Punk. He wanted a party and they'd give her a party, but she just didn't know how they could plan it when so much tension was in the air.

"I can't wait to be six." Nova smiled to herself.

"Why? What happens when you're six?" AJ asked.

"I'm just old. That's all." Nova nodded simply.

"You're not old. You're just a baby." AJ teased.

"No, Maggie is the baby." Nova defended.

"Maggie is the baby, that's true." AJ said, "But you're my baby too." She smiled, leaning forward and kissing her forehead softly, "You get some sleep, monkey. Ok?" She smiled as Nova nodded, curling down into her glow bear as AJ stood up, smiling as she left the room and switched the light off, shutting the door over and walking on down the hall into her own bedroom, having put down Maggie earlier on.

Just as she got into her own bedroom, stripping into some pyjama shorts and a t-shirt, she heard the front door open and close. She wasn't sure if giving some space to Punk was what he maybe needed to clear his head, but after him storming out and everything he had said, she was worried about him, and what this was doing to him.

She heard him climb the stairs and turned around when she saw him walk through the door. He didn't say much until she stared him out long enough.

"I was just… out for a drive." Punk said as AJ just nodded.

"The girls are both in bed. Nova missed you at dinner tonight." She cared to inform him as he just nodded slowly, "There's some dinner downstairs if you're hungry. I might get an early night." She told him.

"I'm not that hungry." He shook his head, placing his hands on his hips, "I'm not angry at you. But it's clear we're dealing with this in two completely different ways." He said as AJ just nodded, "I'm not trying to embrace violence. I just want the girls to be safe. I want you to be safe." He said.

"And we will be." AJ nodded, "Phil, he's not going to come near us. I know he won't."

"That's just a feeling you have, April. You don't know what he's gonna do or what he's thinking." Punk said as she walked round closer to him.

"All I know is, we can't be negative the entire time, and we can't let this control our lives." She said.

"It's not that simple for me. I can't push this to the back of my mind and forget about it. I'm not used to that like you are."

"What do you mean like I am?" She shook her head.

"You're good at blocking things out."

"It's not easy for me, though." AJ made sure he knew.

"I know it isn't." Punk sighed loudly, running his hands through his hair as AJ watched him, "I just hate knowing he's out there." He shook his head.

"He's not gonna come near us. He doesn't know where we stay now. If it's necessary we can get a restraining order up, even though I don't think he'll want to come near us when it's only him now." AJ said, "Abigail was his conscience. Now he's just a man with no leader wandering. He's lost. He won't come back to us." She said.

"There's always a chance." Punk said.

"But you can't think like that." AJ said, "You can't think of everything under a dark cloud."

"It's hard not to." Punk shook his head, "I just want to go back to the start when everything was a little easier."

"I do too." AJ nodded, "But we can get through this. We can keep going-"

"I can't be ok with him out there, April."

"You're gonna have to be." AJ told him, "Because you can't do anything about it."

"I can try-"

"No!" AJ shook her head, "No, you're not gonna try anything. If I suggested that to you, then you'd be mad at me for even thinking such a thing. I need you here. I need you here with me being a father that the girls need. Carrying on like we have been for the past five months." AJ said.

"I need to do something about him, April." Punk shook his head.

"No, you don't. You've just convinced yourself you do."

"I do." Punk said, "How can I be ok with my daughter's kidnapper out there?!" Punk asked loudly, "Huh?"

"Do you think I'm ok with it?!" AJ yelled back, "I'm dying inside just like you but I'm trying to be strong for the girls, and for us as a family."

"I'm not gonna sleep until he's gone! Something has to be done before I go out of my fucking mind!" Punk yelled, placing his hands on his head as AJ reached up and pressed her lips against his. All the shouting, all the stress, all the tension, she just wanted it to stop. She couldn't bare it anymore.

Punk was a little confused how a sparking fight had provoked AJ to kiss him, but he'd never back away from a kiss. Definitely not. Never.

In fact, something took over him, and it felt like he could release all his stress and his pain. He pulled her closer to his body and deepened the kiss as she pushed him back against the room wall, roaming her hands up his body and to his cheeks.

Punk spun them around, pushing AJ against the wall whilst lifting up her t-shirt, cupping her breasts over her bra and kissing her neck sloppily as AJ rolled her head back.

"Phil." She whispered as he sucked on her pulse point, feeling his hand suddenly dip into her shorts and panties, parting her folds with his fingers and finding her clit which he began to massage, "Fuck, baby. I want you inside me." AJ moaned, clinging her fingers to his belt around his jeans as he slid his hand out of her panties and undone his jeans whilst she pulled at his t-shirt.

It was very rushed and in some sort of manner it was rough. Normally they weren't into soft and gentle love making anyway, but they also didn't really handle each other roughly, not until now. A part of them needed it. To take out aggression and stress, and to feel pleasure to shift their haunted thoughts.

"Turn around and bend over." Punk told her, leering her over to the dresser drawers before bending her over them herself.

AJ felt him push her shorts and panties down whilst he shimmied his jeans and boxers down, stroking himself up and down as he looked at her ass, sliding the tip of his length up and down her wet slit.

"Do it." AJ begged desperately, whispering in Spanish to herself which caused Punk to smile.

He eventually slid inside her where she stood bent over the drawers whilst he stood behind, grabbing her hips and beginning to thrust into her hard and fast, not giving her a second to catch breath, not that she wanted that. Although there was a certain roughness to their exchange, it was something they both needed after so much tension, and exhaustion, and fighting, and unease in the air.

"Fuckin' hell, baby." Punk moaned in a growl whilst thrusting into her hard, rocking her completely as she gripped onto the drawers.

"Harder." AJ moaned, rolling her head back as Punk grabbed a bunch of her hair, "Fuck, yes!" She moaned whilst he pounded her hard.

It wasn't the healthiest thing to do, but it also did seem like it was the healthiest thing they could have done. Being able to take out whatever stress they both had on each other, whilst making one another feel good, it was great, and it also put an end to their fighting. Mentally, it was something they both needed.


	74. Coping Mechanisms

**Coping Mechanisms**

* * *

Later that night, after their hot encounter, Punk and AJ fell fast asleep with one another in bed. Punk was exhausted for not sleeping good the night before, and AJ just slept better when she was curled into him.

They had needed desperately to connect in the way which they had done earlier. They weren't necessarily being aggressive towards one another, there was so no sign of them hurting one another, but it wasn't a slow tempo by any means. They just needed to loosen the hinges, Punk especially, and try and lose himself in something else that wasn't to do with Bray being out there.

The house was dead silent. AJ and Punk were fast asleep, the girls were peacefully asleep, and Ace was also fast asleep in his own little bed that they had given him in Nova's room. Although Ace was a protector of the entire family, there was something about Nova that he always wound up going to first. AJ reckoned it was because of the four years that Punk wasn't here, and how protective Ace got over Nova as she grew up. It was like he was protecting her for Punk.

But although the dog wasn't a spring chicken, he was still young enough, approaching the age of eight, and had ears like a hawk. As soon as he heard a lock turn in the front door downstairs, his head shot up from his bed and he stood up, trotting out of Nova's room and standing at the top of the stairs. His ears twitched as he listened to the front door open and then ran around the hall to Punk and AJ's room, jumping up and pulling the handle down, a trick he'd learned over the years.

He ran right into the room and stopped at Punk's side, nudging his side as hard as he could with his wet nose, licking him and nudging him to wake him as Punk eventually opened his eyes, turning to his side as he saw Ace standing eagerly.

"What?" Punk hissed, screwing his eyes up as Ace nudged him again, as if angry that he wasn't making quicker movement.

Punk then heard movement downstairs and immediately shot up, grabbing his boxers from the floor and shoving them on, opening up the bedside drawer and grabbing the gun at the back of it whilst Ace lead the way out of the bedroom.

Ace trotted down the stairs as Punk followed quickly, waiting at the living room door for him to catch up as Punk hovered his hand over the handle, listening to whoever it was in the living room.

He quickly pushed down the handle, walking into the living room with his gun up and Ace squared up, his heart beating out of his chest as he then relaxed and shook his head, "What the fuck are you doing?" Punk shook his head as he saw his father standing.

Ace stretched himself out and yawned, sitting beside Punk once knowing Dan as a familiar face.

"I… I forgot my own keys." Dan said, not looking Punk in the eye as Punk looked at him closely.

"Have you been drinking?" Punk asked, hurt.

"No." Dan shook his head like a child.

"You have." Punk nodded, stepping closer to his father who stepped back, "Dad, you haven't had a drink in like… fifteen years." Punk shook his head, "What are you doing?"

"I just had to." Dan shook his head, "I had one and then… then I left. I promise. I knew it was wrong. I knew it wasn't going to be good for me but… all this stress you're under. I feel for you, I really do. And I thought I'd just… go take something to ease it all off."

"But you know what happens when you drink." Punk shook his head.

"I know. That's why I stopped myself after one and I left the pub. I realised I had picked up the keys to your place and your place was closer. I couldn't find my keys." He patted himself down. He wasn't drunk, but he was tipsy for sure. Punk knew all the signs, after growing up as a child with him being intoxicated for the most part.

"You know you can't turn to drink now. You've done so good." Punk shook his head.

"It's just so hard seeing all this fall on your shoulders again." Dan sighed, "It's not right. He should have been locked up." He spat.

"I know. Trust me, I want nothing more but… April is right, I can't become obsessed and just… dedicate my life to… waiting on him coming through our door. Before I know it, I'm gonna have missed my girls' lives because I was so focused on making sure he never got to them." Punk said, "We just have to carry on like normal."

"Is there anything you could do to really prevent him from coming anywhere near you or the girls?" Dan asked, taking a seat on the couch, or more so collapsing down as his legs gave way. Meanwhile, Ace had gotten bored and ran off upstairs, nosing his way back into Nova's room and collapsing back into his comfy bed in the corner of her room.

"We could get a restraining order up against him. Under the circumstances, I'm sure it'd be easy enough but… then again, they don't think he's had anything to do with April and Maggie's kidnap." Punk shook his head, "I don't know. April reckons that he's not gonna risk doing anything to get put back on trial and back inside. He'll stay away. So… somehow, I gotta believe that too, so we can carry on with our lives." Punk said, "I went crazy for a second. I just saw red right away. I was planning to sleep in Maggie's room one night, and then Nova's room the next. And I planned on stashing more guns in here. I was talking to Rocky about cameras for the house-" Punk shook his head, "But I can't be like that. I know fine well I can't."

"You have a right to feel like that, though." Dan nodded with tired eyes, "If someone had tried to take you or Mike when you were little, or tried to harm your mother, I'd feel the same if they were released and wandering the streets." He said.

"Speaking of… you heard from either of them?" Punk wondered whilst he had brought it up.

"Yeah. Your mom is living in New York. She got her own place. Has her own job. Seems to be doing ok. Last letter I got from Mike was a few months back. He'd gotten word from inside that I wasn't your real dad. He wanted answers so… I wrote to him, told him everything… he didn't respond." Dan shrugged.

"Don't tell me he's feeling teary because the little brother he hated is only his step-brother?" Punk shook his head.

"Might be the case." Dan shrugged, "Who knows. Mike is messed up."

"You guys always thought I was the messed up one." Punk shook his head as Dan nodded.

"We did." Dan admitted to him. Maybe if he wasn't a little tipsy, he wouldn't have admitted to that. For an ex alcoholic of his extreme, to pull back after one drink and know it would end him, it was a brave thing to do, and Punk was proud of him for it.

"You thought I had discipline problems." Punk folded his arms.

"Well you did a little." Dan said as Punk just rolled his eyes, "No. You know what your problem is. You hate being told what to do, and so when you… when you went to school, it was your worst nightmare. So many people telling you what to do and where to go." Dan nodded, "You could have punched less people but nevertheless."

"Ever think I was like that because I went home to an insane mother and an alcoholic father?" Punk wondered, "And my brother hated me, don't forget that."

"I know I should have done more." Dan nodded, "You don't have to tell me twice. I know I was an… an awful father."

"You weren't awful. You've… You've made up for a lot of it." Punk assured him as Dan just smiled to himself and nodded.

"Your mother wanted to send you away to an all-boys school where everything was white and happy." Dan said, "But I suggested the academy. I figured you could put all that aggression towards something that you'd enjoy." Dan nodded.

"And you both wanted rid of me. So everyone won." He said as Dan sighed, "Hey, maybe things would have been a little different if… if you weren't drinking all the time, and mom was maybe a little more approachable, but everything worked out for the best. I did have some… behavioural issues, whether that was brought on by you guys at home or if it was something I just had, but it led me to a career I love. Led me to great friends… it led me to my girlfriend and my daughters." Punk nodded.

"So technically you should be thanking me." Dan nodded.

"Well." Punk scoffed as Dan smiled.

"You know I love you, kid." Dan pointed to him tiredly, his one whiskey seeped into his sentimental bones.

"I love you too, dad." Punk nodded, "I guess I can put you up for the night. I'll get you a few blankets and a pillow." He said.

"No need." Dan waved his hand, laying down on the couch, "I'm just fine like this." He assured him.

"Ok." Punk hummed tiredly, "You can make the coffee in the morning." He said, looking over at his dad who was already snoring, shaking his head and leaving the living room, locking up the front door again and heading back upstairs.

He walked through the hall, checking in on the girls who were both fast asleep, and then proceeded to walk back into he and AJ's bedroom where AJ was still fast asleep, laying on her stomach naked, so beautiful that he wanted to just stand and watch her from afar.

He got back into bed beside her, pulling the covers over him and watching as she opened her eyes slowly, "It's ok, go back to sleep." He nodded, cupping her cheek softly as she looked across at him. He knew he had to be strong for her and the girls, and they had to go on living their normal lives.

"Where'd you go?" AJ moaned a little annoyed, but cutely as she curled back into him.

"Just the toilet." Punk told her, in hopes to soothe her back to sleep, "Go back to sleep." He said, brushing his hand down the back of her head as her eyes closed back over once back in his arms.

He knew if he carried on the way he was, he was going to be the one that ruined his family, not Bray. He just wanted them all to be safe, and that was hard to feel they were when Bray was out there. But he refused to live in fear, and he refused to make an abnormal living for the girls and for AJ. They'd come so far with helping each other. That's all they needed to keep doing.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	75. Party Time

**Party Time**

* * *

"Wake up! Wake up!" Nova exclaimed, jumping up on her parent's bed, "It's my birthday!" She bounced, stepping over Punk and bouncing up and down in between them as Punk groaned to himself and AJ chuckled lightly, "I'm six! Get up!" She yelled excitedly as Punk opened his eyes and watched her bounce up and down between them, sinking down to her knees as she placed her hands on Punk's cheeks, "Wake up, daddy!" She shook his face around as AJ laughed.

"Yeah, ok ok." Punk nodded, taking her hands off of him before she shook his brains out, "What time is it?" He turned around to the small clock on his bedside table, "Oh my God." Punk shook his head as he saw it read 6am.

"I couldn't sleep." Nova smiled.

"Yeah, no kidding." Punk sighed as AJ just smiled.

"Happy birthday, baby." AJ said, sitting up against the headboard as Nova collapsed into her, embracing in a tight hug as Punk smiled, "You're getting so old."

"I know, mommy." Nova smiled, hugging into her mother tightly as Punk smiled.

"Happy birthday, princess." Punk said, scooping her little self into him as he gave her a tight squeeze, kissing her cheek loudly as she giggled, "Are you excited for your party?" He smiled as she nodded.

Over the past few days, they had been putting their mind to Nova's birthday, and doing their best to make sure she had the perfect day. Of course there was still a lot of unsettled tension in the air, but it was something they could work on. Punk had really toned himself down after having freaked out a little. He knew he couldn't be sitting waiting at the front door with a gun in his hand. Before he'd know it, it'd be twenty years later, and he'd have missed all the great things in his life. They weren't going to let this ruin them. They'd gone through worse. The help and support they were getting from their friends and family was tremendous too.

"Yeah, I'm so excited, daddy." Nova smiled, "Mommy, did you get the purple cupcakes like I said? The ones I showed you?" She made sure, folding her legs in a basket as she sat facing them in between.

"I did." AJ nodded, "I got everything you said. The cupcakes. The balloons. The banners. The snacks. Everything." AJ smiled.

"And what about my presents?" She grinned excitedly.

"Who said there are presents?" Punk raised a brow, "Your best gift is that we are your parents." Punk smiled to her as Nova looked unimpressed.

"That wasn't a gift I asked for, daddy." Nova said seriously as Punk nodded.

"I suppose you didn't." Punk said, "I didn't ask for it either but hey ho." He mumbled teasingly as AJ punched his arm, "Kidding." He hissed as she made a 'mhm' face to him.

"Well maybe there are presents, but they aren't up here." AJ shrugged as Nova grinned, "You're gonna need to find them if you want them." She said, watching as Nova scrambled off the bed, stepping on Punk's leg on her way down as he groaned a little, watching her run out of the room, "She's so excited." AJ smiled, getting out of bed and grabbing a zipper from the dresser to put on.

"Yeah, she is." Punk groaned a little as he held his leg, stepping out of bed and reaching for a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt, "You think she'll find them?" He smiled.

"You hid one at the top of the fridge. I don't think so." AJ smiled as Punk shrugged.

"What's the fun in sitting the all in front of her." Punk just shrugged, gazing at the clock and sighing, "We went to bed five hours ago." He almost cried. They'd been up all night blowing balloons and preparing for their eldest daughter's birthday, and ended up in bed later than they expected.

"Bed at 7pm tonight." AJ smiled to him.

"I was thinking 6." Punk said, rubbing his hands over his face, "So many children in the one space. I can't just go out with Dean and Seth, can I?" He wondered last minute.

"No, you can't." AJ warned, "This is your first birthday with her since you got back." She reminded him as he nodded.

"It'll be a year next week since I got back." Punk nodded, "It's been a quick year." He admitted as she nodded.

"Yeah." AJ agreed, walking around the bed and approaching him, "Come on." She smiled, seeing him fade out a little, rubbing his arm softly, "Let's go help her with these presents you hid." She shook her head as he smiled, both of them leaving the bedroom to go help Nova find her presents.

* * *

The day ticked on pretty fast. Nova had found all her presents that Punk had hid, and she was overjoyed with all of them. Her little face was priceless, especially when it came to her new bike that Punk promised to help her ride without the stabilizers.

They had breakfast, and since it was Nova's day, they had her favourite breakfast which was pancakes and bananas. Maggie got in on the bananas after waking up shortly after Nova had. Punk and AJ had made sure to give Nova something that was from Maggie also.

After breakfast, Dan came to visit with Nova's presents, as well as Dean and Renee, Seth, Eve and Tyler, and Rocky too. She was a lucky girl, and although AJ and Punk believed themselves to have little or in AJ's case, no other immediate family, they had their own family. A family they had created.

Then came the part where Punk was dreading. The party. Nova had invited her entire school class, which meant Cheryl was also coming too, which actually did make Punk excited. He saw Cheryl once a week, and from his own knowledge, it seemed that her and Nova were actually starting to get on with one another.

He was just glad that their friends decided to stick around to help out, otherwise he might have had to run out of the house. The main part of course, was that Nova was having a great time. She wasn't so much enjoying the spotlight, but more so having everyone together. For four years it had just been her and her mother, isolated in their apartment, now it actually felt like a family.

"They're playing pass the parcel." AJ smiled, walking into the kitchen, "Your dad is making sure no one is cheating." She smiled to Punk who chuckled to himself whilst their friends were scattered in the kitchen.

"She's having a good time." Punk smiled to himself as AJ nodded, walking by him and rubbing his back softly as she headed for a soda.

"Can't believe it's almost been a year since you got back." Dean said, holding Maggie in his arms at the island in the kitchen.

"Me neither." Punk nodded.

"A lot has happened." Seth said, leaning against the kitchen counter beside Eve. One-year old Tyler was taking a nap upstairs.

"A lot." Punk nodded, "Main thing is that… we're all here together." He shrugged, "Can't really complain I guess." He said as they smiled.

"I still can't forget that day that you walked around that corner." Rocky shook his head, "I thought I was going out of my mind." He said as Punk smiled.

"Me too." AJ remembered.

"Well hey…" Dean raised his glass of water with one hand whilst balancing Maggie on his side with his other arm, "Cheers to this year. Forgetting all the shit that happened, we got you back. That cancels out all the… terrible things that have happened." He said as Punk smiled to him and nodded with thanks.

"Yeah, cheers." Seth nodded, clinking his beer off of Seth's water as they all dived in.

"Alright, someone swap with me." Dan shook his head as he appeared into the kitchen, "Nova, I can deal with. 18 Nova's. Nuh uh." Dan shook his head as AJ laughed.

"Do you want a drink?" AJ asked.

"Boy, do I." Dan said as Punk smiled, patting him on the back.

"I'll take over." Punk nodded, walking on through from the kitchen into the living room where pass the parcel was still going on. It was a normal little kiddies party. There were party games and tricks. Dean had even shown his hidden talent of balloon making and made different animals for them. Ace looked annoyed and depressed in the corner of the room as a few kids had come over to play with the 'police dog' not knowing that he wasn't much of a playful guy. He just liked to supervise.

"No winners yet?" Punk asked, taking a seat on the couch which had been pushed back. There was spilled drink and food on the floor already, some discarded wrapping paper and opened up presents too, "Hey, who put a party hat on Ace?" Punk looked over at Ace sitting in his downstairs bed glaring over at Punk with a party hat on, as if asking why he had done this to him.

"I did!" A boy chirped sitting beside Nova as Punk just arched a brow, "He looked sad."

"He's not sad." Nova told him forcefully.

"Ok, let's keep going with the game. Someone's gotta win." Punk said, watching the parcel get passed around the remaining contestants, other kids standing by watching.

"Hi, Phil." Cheryl smiled, sitting up on the couch beside Punk.

"Hey, Cheryl." Punk smiled, "You enjoying the party?" He asked as she nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun." Cheryl nodded, "Nova shared her prize for musical statues with me." She smiled.

"That was nice." Punk smiled, "You two getting along?"

"Yeah." Cheryl smiled, "Mom says Nova can sleepover one night." She said excitedly. In a way, Punk felt like Nova would bond much better with Cheryl than he could, and that didn't make him sad, in fact, it made him happy to know that Cheryl and Nova were getting along well, they were family after all.

"That sounds like fun." Punk smiled, "I bet Nova will be up for it." He nodded.

"I already asked her and she said yes but that you and her mommy will have to know." Cheryl said as Punk nodded.

"It shouldn't be a problem." Punk nodded, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving her a soft hug as she smiled.

"Hey mister police man." A boy tapped Punk on his other side whilst the game continued, "Where is your gun?" The boy asked, short, light hair, intrigued for sure.

"Uh… not here." Punk answered.

"I wanna be a police man." He told him truthfully.

"Well it's a lot of hard work kid." Punk nodded.

"Nova says she wants to be one too." The kid said, climbing up and sitting beside Punk as Punk turned to Nova who was still in the game with a few others.

"She does?" Punk said to himself.

"Yeah." The kid folded his arms, "Not a police man though. What's one for girls?"

"Uh… a police woman?" Punk shook his head.

"Yeah. That." The kid said, "I like Nova she's cool." He said as Punk arched a brow and looked down at the boy.

"Mhm." Punk said, "She is cool." He nodded.

"She's pretty too." The kid nodded as Punk felt himself begin to twitch, clasping his hands together and reminding himself that it was a child sitting beside him.

"What's your name?" Punk asked.

"Charlie." He said, "Can you help me be a police man?" He wondered as Punk just nodded.

"Sure." Punk said, keeping his eye on the kid closely as he ran back over to the other kids. Shaking his head and turning back to Nova who was smiling and laughing. She was having the best time. And he loved it.

* * *

"Anymore rubbish?" AJ asked in the kitchen whilst holding a full black trash bag, her friends stuffing their faces with the leftover snacks and drinks.

The party was winding down, and the only thing left was to stick a candle in the cupcake Nova had wished for instead of a cake, and to sign happy birthday to her. The last time they sung happy birthday to her as a family, with Punk included, was when she turned one years old. A lot had changed.

"No, nothing here." Dan nodded, "I think that's it." He said as AJ nodded.

"I'll be back." She said, leaving out the back door to put the trash out, walking down the side of their house and out of the gate to put the bag in the trash, dusting her hands off once putting the lid back on, pausing for a second as she looked across and along the street where a black SUV was parked, blackened windows, car engine on.

She folded her arms and looked across at it suspiciously, watching as it then sped away once she had looked over. She shook her head and walked back into the house. She knew she was just looking for things, and any slight suspicion she would take and run with it. She couldn't do that. Not everything strange around her meant they were in danger. She had to remember that…

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	76. Greetings

**Greetings**

* * *

"I can't believe she's six." AJ whispered whilst tucking Nova's covers up over her little body as she lay fast asleep in bed. She had passed out as soon as all her class mates were picked up. She had such an exciting day and being up since six, AJ only assumed she'd eventually crash.

"I know." Punk smiled, standing leaning against the dresser as he smiled on at Nova. She'd had such a great day. The smile on her face was everlasting, and it was such a far cry from where they were four months ago when they sat in that first therapy appointment together. To see her smiling, and happy, and back to her normal self again was the biggest blessing, "I think she had a good day." Punk nodded, watching as AJ leaned forward and kissed her softly on her head.

"The best." AJ smiled, turning back to him and standing up, "I think you secretly enjoyed the party games too." AJ smiled to him as they walked out of the room, Punk's hand placed at AJ's lower back as they left Nova's room and shut the door behind them.

"I had a lot of fun too. I won't lie." Punk said as AJ grinned, heading into their own bedroom, "You know one kid told me that Nova wants to be a cop, apparently." Punk said as AJ walked around the bed to get ready for a shower.

"She does?" AJ smiled to herself, "I thought she'd be a doctor… or maybe a vet." AJ admitted, "High hopes, I know." She shrugged.

"She can be whatever she wants to be." Punk said, "I just didn't expect her to… want to be a cop."

"Me neither." AJ said, amused.

"I don't know how I feel about it." Punk said truthfully, "I mean… the number of thugs we deal with on a daily basis… I don't know if I want my daughter dealing with that."

"Maybe she'll be a detective like her mama." AJ smiled.

"She'd give you a run for your money, April." Punk nodded seriously.

"Finally. Some decent competition." AJ smiled to him as he grinned, "You seem better today." She nodded.

"Better?" He asked.

"Better than the past few days. I know the court trial is still fresh in your mind and I know it's… it's been hard for us to come to terms with the outcome, but I'm so proud of you for being strong and shifting it to the back of your mind, especially for Nova." AJ nodded. She knew it hadn't been easy for him. It wasn't easy for her either.

"I had a chat with my dad. That night he came to the house after having a drink." Punk said, "He pointed out a lot of things. Things that sometimes I don't realise when I get so… worked up. We have our family. The four of us. My dad. Cheryl. Our friends." Punk nodded, "What's Bray got? A fake alibi he probably got from the streets and a psychotic sister in lock up for the rest of her life?" Punk shrugged, "Why should I be afraid?"

"You shouldn't." AJ shook her head, walking back around the bed, closer to him.

"Maybe I'm out of practise after those four years being gone. Maybe because of those four years… I got a taster of what life would be like without you, and Nova, and now Maggie too. And I don't want to ever experience that again. That's why I… That's why I want to make sure you guys are protected at all costs. Maybe I… took it too far at first but… it was just my natural instinct."

"I know." AJ nodded, "I know you. I know what you're like. Your love for the girls is something that makes me so happy, and I know we would do anything for them, but… we can't be sitting with a gun in hand, just waiting for something bad to happen. We can't live our life like that." She said.

"I realise that now. I think I was just in a moment of madness." Punk admitted, "I wasn't thinking straight. Just the idea of him being out there was haunting enough but… what real damage is he going to do? Especially when he's on close watch now." He said, "I'm not gonna live in fear. We shouldn't have to."

"We shouldn't." AJ agreed, "It's time we just forget about all of that. It's time we get back to work, focus on our family, in our new home." AJ smiled to him as he nodded, "I'm just tired of feeling weak and pathetic."

"You're not weak or pathetic." Punk shook his head, "In fact, you're the strongest person I know." He said truthfully, grazing his palm against her cheek as she smiled at his touch. Even though their love wasn't new, it still felt like it every time they touched. That spark was never leaving them it seemed.

"You're such a good baby daddy." AJ smiled, placing her hands on his arms as he chuckled lightly.

"I know I am." Punk agreed.

"A dilf." AJ nodded as Punk laughed.

"I am also that." Punk nodded, "You got lucky." He winked.

"I did." AJ smiled, "Incredibly lucky." She nodded as he smiled.

"You know I love you so much?" Punk smiled, "No matter what we go through, I will always have your back."

"I'll always have yours." AJ smiled, "I love you." AJ whispered. In that moment, she didn't feel afraid of love. There always was a part of her that was scared of the love they had because it was so strong and powerful. She was scared to lose it. Scared to mess with it incase it crumbled to pieces, and couldn't be put back together. But in that moment, she was sick of being scared. In that moment, she wanted to be his wife, gazing into his eyes.

"Are you going for a shower?" Punk questioned, bringing her out of her trance as she nodded.

"I am indeed." AJ smiled, "Care to join me?" She smiled, already on her way into the large bathroom in their own bedroom, knowing fine well he would follow after her, like he did, eagerly.

* * *

Dan hadn't long left AJ and Punk's house, being the last to leave once AJ and Punk said they were taking Nova up to bed. He was glad to be a part of yet another birthday celebration of his granddaughters, and was even more glad to see Punk back this year.

As he was walking down the dark street, knowing these cobbled streets like the back of his hand, he suddenly felt a light tug on his arm, to which he turned around to, not seeing the face under the hood as he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his side, looking down as the figure in front had a knife drove right into him.

"Tell your son I said hi." The figure croaked, ripping the knife back out of Dan who collapsed to the ground in a bloody heap, the figure stepping over his body and running off back into the waiting SUV.

"Why are we even targeting the old man?" The driver asked frantically whilst speeding off.

"Why the fuck not?" The man behind the hood asked, "Put the foot on it. Will you?" He asked as the driver sped up, practically skidding around the corners on two wheels to get out of sight as much as possible, all the while Dan lay on the cold concrete, bleeding out, in hopes to be found sooner rather than later.

* * *

Once Punk and AJ had a very enjoyable shower, they got out and decided to just go to bed and stick the TV on there, instead of going downstairs. Both were tired from getting up early with Nova, and there was nothing that seemed more inviting than falling asleep against one another to the sound of an old movie.

Just as AJ was getting into bed and Punk was tidying up the bathroom, there was a knock at the front door. AJ immediately rushed over to the bedroom window whilst Punk emerged from the bathroom curiously.

"It's a cop car." AJ frowned with confusion as Punk shook his head cluelessly.

"Should we answer?" Punk asked as AJ nodded.

"I'll go." AJ told him as Punk watched her leave the bedroom quickly, cursing her silk pyjama set including shorts and a silk strapped vest.

AJ rushed down the stairs quietly, unlocking the door and the latch as she opened it up to one of the local police officers from the station.

"Adam, what is it?" AJ shook her head.

"Uh… it's Phil's father." Adam said as AJ's stomach sunk to the ground, completely leaving her body as she gripped the side of the door tightly, "He was found stabbed about ten minutes away from here." He explained whilst Punk walked down the stairs and followed behind AJ.

"What's going on?" Punk asked as AJ had her hand over her mouth.

"Your father is in a bad way, Phil." Adam said as Punk looked at him blankly.

"My dad?" Punk shook his head, "What are you talking about?"

"He was stabbed." Adam said, "He's in surgery right now but… they reckon you should get to the hospital. It doesn't look very good." He said as Punk ran his hand through his hair.

"What?" His voice broke from underneath him.

"I'm sorry." Adam sighed, "He's in the best place."

"Who?" Punk gritted his teeth, "Who did this?"

"No leads yet." Adam said, "It literally happened ten, fifteen minutes ago. A young woman driving by stopped and phoned an ambulance for him."

"Oh my God." AJ sighed, placing her hands on her cheeks as she looked up at Punk who was pinching the top of his nose and looking down.

"I'm sorry to be the messenger." Adam said, just a local cop bringing the bad news as AJ just nodded, watching him walk off as she shut the door behind him.

"Phil." AJ said in a low tone as she looked up at Punk who was pale white, almost a green colour, and looked ready to throw up everywhere. It was like they had jinxed themselves. Like they had gotten the courage to have that little glimpse of hope that they could still have a normal, unbothered live… and now this. Of course this.

"We need to go." Punk said frantically as he headed for the stairs.

"Phil, what about the kids?" AJ asked him.

"They'll have to come." Punk said, rushing up the stairs, "I have to go to my dad."

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	77. The Stray

**The Stray**

* * *

"I'll wait here. You go in." AJ said softly, holding Maggie sleeping in her arms whilst Nova rested tiredly on the soft chair in the waiting area in the hospital. They'd had no choice but to pull the girls from their beds. Punk was desperate to get to his father, and AJ wasn't going to let him go by himself.

"Ok." Punk nodded, wandering on down the corridor as AJ watched him, taking a seat beside Nova whilst holding Maggie into her.

"What's going on, mommy?" Nova asked tiredly, resting in against her mother's side. She was still in her pyjamas, as was little Maggie.

"It's nothing to worry about." AJ smiled, painting that mom ask on her face that she did so well, looking down at Nova who looked up at her, "Grandpa Dan isn't feeling too good so… daddy wanted to come see him."

"Oh, can I see him?" Nova wondered. She shared a good bond with Dan. He was her and Maggie's only grandparent, and in the four years Punk had been gone she spent a lot of time with Dan.

"Not just now, baby." AJ sighed softly, "Only daddy can see him right now." AJ said as Nova groaned quietly, curling under her mother's arm, "You can close your eyes." AJ encouraged softly, as it didn't take much for Nova to end up falling asleep beside AJ.

Meanwhile Punk had wandered off to his father's room. He'd been taken through emergency surgery and was now resting in his own room. It was all down to how quick the ambulance was called, and Punk only wanted to thank the kind woman who stopped her car to get out and help. Without her, he could have lost his father.

He walked into the room, looking on at his father from the doorway as he lay in bed, hooked to different machines and wires, gulping at the flashbacks he saw replaying over and over in his head.

" _Hurry up, boys." Juliet spat as she hauled nine-year-old Mike with one hand and seven-year-old Phil with the other, dragging them down the hospital, having pulled them straight from their beds, literally, and drove recklessly to the hospital._

" _Mom, what's going on?" Mike asked, frightened whilst Punk was only focused on getting out of his mother's tight grip. She didn't realise that her nails were digging into both of their wrists, so tight that blood began to trickle down their wrists._

" _Your father. That's what's going on." Juliet spoke harshly._

" _You're hurting me." Punk informed his mother in a squeaky voice._

" _Don't be a baby." Mike called across to him as Punk tried to kick over at him, immediately being torn apart by Juliet._

" _Quit it!" Juliet hissed at them both as other patients and people waiting looked over, "I should have just left you both at home." She muttered to herself seriously as she continued to walk them down the corridor._

" _What's wrong with dad?" Mike asked._

" _What isn't wrong with him?" Juliet shook her head, "He was in a fight and we might not see him again so this is your chance." She warned as Punk shot his head up at her. It wasn't a motherly thing to say to two young children. It wasn't like the boys were used to Juliet being any sort of soft mother, but to say so openly that their father was practically dying, it wasn't something two little boys could deal with._

" _I don't want to go." Punk shook his head, stopping himself in the corridor as Juliet just pulled him along. He tried his best to pull her back, stomping on the ground to give him more strength but he was just a little kid._

" _You're going." Juliet spat, turning the corner with them and approaching the room, kicking the door open with her foot and shoving them both in the room._

 _Mike stood beside Punk, and for the first time, tugged on his little brother's long-sleeved t-shirt, terrified as they looked on at their black and blue father, bleeping noises sounding around the room whilst Juliet shoved them both further into the room by the bottom of their backs._

 _The sight of their bloodied father was enough to scare anyone, never mind two small little kids._

" _Why does he look that way?" Mike whined, confused, turning back to Juliet who just folded her arms._

" _It's his own fault." Juliet hissed, "If he doesn't die then he'll be off to prison so… spend some time with him." She told them, leaving the room cruelly as they both looked up at her with desperation._

" _Where are you-" Punk paused as the door closed over, "I want out." Punk shook his head, not being so weak as to cry but completely terrified to be left in the room with their terrifying father. Not that they would get much comfort from their mother anyway._

" _Mom!" Mike knocked at the door whilst Juliet stood on the other side holding the door shut, "Mom, please let us come out." Mike begged hysterically whilst Punk looked over at his father, wandering closer to the bed._

" _Is he sleeping?" Punk wondered, touching his father's hand, more so poking it as his father never budged._

" _What are you doing?" Mike whined, more so whining at the courage his little brother had, that he didn't have._

" _I don't want him to go away." Punk said truthfully, gulping as he looked at his father's beaten face, the cables attached to him, stitches on his face. It was everything that a seven-year-old little boy shouldn't have saw, "I wanna go." Punk backed away from his father, scarred to say the least, joining his brother at the door in hopes their mother would let them out._

 _Juliet eventually opened the door up to them, angrily, "What?" She hissed at them both, where Punk immediately ran by her, "Philip!" Juliet spat as Punk ran off down the hospital corridor. He didn't want to see his father go, mostly because that meant they would be left with their mother._

 _He ran down the corridor for a while, constantly looking back to make sure his mother wasn't running after him. It hadn't been the first time he'd ran away from her._

 _He was so busy running fast, looking back, he crashed into a solid figure and ended up falling down on his back, quickly getting to his feet as he looked up at the man dressed in black._

" _Hey, kid." The man smiled pleasantly, placing his speaker phone back in his pocket. Punk had saw a man of similar looks at their front door before. He had shiny rings attached to his belt, a big bat too, and there was something about him that made him feel safe._

" _Sorry." Punk mumbled as the man looked down at him wearily, looking around to see if anyone was with the little boy._

" _You lost, kid?" The man asked, crouching down to him as Punk shook his head._

" _No, I'm fine." Punk sniffled, looking back again to the corridor he'd ran down._

" _You sure?" The man asked softly, "I can help you find your mom or dad. Are you looking for them?"_

" _No." Punk said immediately as the man nodded. Punk wanted to keep on running, but he felt safe around the man, "What are you?" Punk asked childishly as the man smiled._

" _I'm a police officer." The man smiled, "Or you can call me a cop." He shrugged, "I keep people like you safe." He said as Punk smiled. It was the coolest thing to him._

" _That's your job?" Punk asked, fascinated as the man smiled._

" _It's my job." The man smiled. To Punk, for there to be a job out there that helped people like him, it was the greatest thing he'd ever heard._

" _What's your name, kid?" The young man smiled._

" _Phil." Punk said, "My dad calls me Punk. My mom calls me a stray." He blurted out as the man's smile faded to one of concern._

" _Are your parents here?" The man asked._

" _Yeah." Punk nodded, hearing commotion from behind him as he saw his mother spot him, "That's my mom." Punk sighed, disheartened, as the police man stood up straight and watched the woman rush over._

" _Phil, baby." Juliet smiled as she rushed over to him, "Oh, baby you scared me." Juliet crouched down and squeezed him tightly as Punk let his body go limp, "Thank you, officer." Juliet smiled up to the man, "I just… I took his eyes off of him for a second."_

" _It's alright, miss." The police officer nodded as Punk looked up at him, "He's just fine." He winked down to Punk who smiled._

" _Hospitals aren't his favourite place." Juliet smiled whilst flattening her hair and smiling to the attractive man, forgetting Punk was there as he stood to the side of her._

" _I don't believe they are anyone's favourite place, miss." The man smiled cockily as Juliet nodded with an innocent smile, "It's late. Little man like him shouldn't be running around." He said in the calmest voice he could._

" _I know. We're just in a difficult position right now." Juliet explained, continuing to present herself to the officer whilst Punk watched._

" _I understand." The officer nodded, "Best get him home, though." He advised._

" _Of course." Juliet smiled, "Thank you for your help." She nodded wide eyed and smiling._

" _My job." The man shrugged as Punk looked especially. He crouched down to Punk and nodded to him, "You take care of your mom, ok?" He smiled as Punk forced a nod, "Phil." He extended his hand out as Punk shook it with a thrill, "Walter." The officer placed his other hand on his chest as Punk nodded._

" _C'mon, baby." Juliet encouraged softly as Walter stood back up straight and let Punk go off with his mother, watching curiously as he watched them walk off._

" _Mom, I want to be like that man." Punk said, gradually feeling his mother's grip get tighter on his wrist the further they got away from the police officer._

" _Don't you ever… ever do that again." Juliet hissed down at him, "Do you understand me?" She warned as Punk looked up at her, approaching Mike outside his father's room, "Nothing but a stray dog." Juliet hissed to herself without Punk hearing, pushing him over beside Mike, "Now both of you get back in there."_

Punk stood at his father's door, stepping in slowly, continuing to look back to make sure the door was still opened, walking slowly into the room as he looked on at his father laying in the bed.

He sighed to himself, rubbing his sweaty palms on his jeans as he stood at his father's bedside, feeling just as small as he was all these years ago.

"You're alright, dad." Punk sighed, placing his hand over his father's, "You're alright." He said, more so talking to himself as Dan opened his eyes slowly.

"Hi, son." Dan croaked as Punk smiled with relief, "I know you don't like… hospitals." He wheezed a little as Punk just shook his head.

"I'm fine." Punk nodded, "You're gonna get better, ok?" Punk nodded as Dan nodded with him, "You're gonna be ok." Punk said as Dan nodded, finding what little strength he had to squeeze his son's hand.

"I'll be… I'll be fine." Dan said, closing his eyes back over, too weak to keep them opened as Punk sighed, pulling a chair over for him to sit on, staying by his father's side whilst keeping his eye on the room door that was left wide open.

"I'm here." Punk nodded, turning back to his father.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	78. Go Time

**Go Time**

* * *

"How is he?" AJ asked, holding Maggie in her arms whilst Nova was sprawled over the waiting room chairs, fast asleep with AJ's cardigan over her, "Is he ok?" AJ asked desperately. Although being Punk's father, Dan was the closest thing she'd ever had to a father in all her life. He was there for her at her lowest, and she had severe anxiety whilst waiting for Punk to come back and update her.

"He's weak." Punk nodded, "But that's expected. Hadn't it been for the help he got so quickly, we probably would have lost him." Punk said, caressing the back of Maggie's soft little head, wanting to feel her near, feel all of his family near at this hard time.

"But he's stable?" AJ asked.

"For now." Punk nodded, "He said a few things, just told me he'd be ok, so he's not completely out of it." Punk said with positivity.

"And did he say anything about who attacked him?" AJ asked.

"He's barely speaking or opening his eyes." Punk shook his head, "He didn't say." He said as AJ nodded, "But whoever it is, they'll pay." Punk spat quietly as AJ nodded in agreement, "I want to know who called the ambulance. I want to thank her face-to-face." Punk told AJ truthfully.

"Maybe the EMTs will let you know?" AJ wondered as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, maybe." Punk said, "You should get home." He placed a hand on her shoulder softly, "Get the girls back in bed. There's no point in waiting around."

"I want to be here with you." AJ shook her head, "You shouldn't be alone."

"I'm a big boy. I can handle it." Punk said, although never feeling quite as vulnerable as he had done minutes ago whilst walking into his father's hospital room. The worst of it was, it wasn't only one memory he remembered in this very hospital visiting his father. There was countless. Back when he would go out drinking and stumble into bar fights. Some ending up so serious that he could have died, and some ending up so cruel that he sometimes spent six months in prison. He wasn't a fan of hospitals, to say the least. Not unless he was in a maternity ward holding either of his baby girls.

"I want to be here until we see the doctor. Then we can go home." AJ told him, "Do you want a coffee?" AJ asked him, noticing his eyes heavy, his skin pale and drained.

"Yeah." Punk said, "I'll go-"

"No, you stay here. I'll get them. Go take a seat." She nodded as he took Maggie from her gently, holding the sleeping five, almost six month into his chest as he took a seat down beside Nova.

AJ knew how he liked his coffee and made her way down the corridor to the machine to get them both a cup. She was trying not to let herself think of why someone wanted to hurt Dan. She wouldn't let herself believe it was anything to do with them. She hoped that it was just a hooligan hoping to find some cash on Dan. Right now, they didn't know anything. They just had to wait.

AJ arrived back to the waiting seats with the two coffees, sitting down Punks on the table in front of them that held the magazines and books for waiting visitors. She then sat beside him with her own in hand and sighed to herself, "Could have just been a street thug." AJ said, "You know what Chicago is like." She said.

"I don't care who it was." Punk said, "They're gonna pay." He said calmly as AJ nodded. She could only agree.

She watched as Punk reached over for his coffee, still keeping Maggie against his chest with his other free arm, and then further on she watched as a familiar woman walked down the corridor. A face she'd saw before. Not a face she'd saw for long, but one that was definitely in the back of her memory box in her brain. She was dressed in a power suit, short blonde hair and a face that meant business.

AJ waited on Punk turning around, and when he did, she feared for Maggie as Punk recklessly stood up in a flash.

"Hey!" Punk yelled as Maggie's eyes opened with disturbance and AJ frowned.

"Phil." AJ sighed sadly as Maggie looked around startled after hearing the loud boom of her father's voice.

Punk regrettably passed Maggie over to AJ as the six-month-old began to get restless very quickly, all the while Punk watched the blonde woman make her way over to him.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Punk spat directly to her as she wasn't afraid to get close to him.

"I believe a thank you is in order, Phil." The woman placed her hands in her suit jacket pockets, "Or should I say Jack?" She teased as Punk glared at her.

"Thank you?" Punk hissed, "You're kidding, right?" Punk said whilst AJ stood watching closely, suddenly remembering who the woman was, suddenly finding a scowl on her face as she stood by Punk.

"Yes. A thank you." The woman smiled, "I called the ambulance for your dear old father." She said, "Thank you, Justine." She mocked for him to follow as Punk just shook his head. Although a part of him was grateful, he also felt like this was what Justine owed him. She owed him much more, but it was a start.

"What are you even doing here?" Punk asked her, "Where is your master?" Punk scolded.

"Who? Carter?" Justine asked, "I don't work for him anymore."

"Let me guess. He got fired after he couldn't carry out his 'mission' in covering up Billy Stone and his gang's doings?" Punk asked.

"He quit before he got the chance to get fired." Justine moved her hands into her trouser pockets, turning to AJ for a second as AJ glared at her, "Not so friendly." Justine smiled, stepping over a little so she was directly in front of AJ, "You had another baby." She noticed, reaching her hand out to touch Maggie, either on her hand or her cheek, but AJ was just as quick to take a step back.

"What do you want?" Punk asked, not in the mood, not understanding why so many skeletons had come to haunt him tonight. Justine was a reminder of a past he didn't want to think about. Those four years, waking up every morning in that rotten house, doing the same thing every day, seeing the same faces, Justine being the most popular face.

"Phil, I don't want anything." Justine shook her head angrily, "I was told you wanted to thank the person who called for an ambulance." She just shrugged, "I don't want anything from you. What do you think I want?" She asked as Punk looked at her wearily.

"Get out of our sight." AJ spat as Maggie headbutted her shoulder tiredly, starting to whine and get cranky as Justine put her hands up in defence.

"Goodbye, then." Justine shook her head, taking a step back and continuing her way down the corridor to head for the way out.

"What the fuck was that?" Punk turned to AJ, "Her of all people?" He shook his head.

"What could she possibly want?" AJ rolled her eyes tiredly as Punk placed his hands on his hips and shook his head with confusion.

"Nothing." Punk answered her, "That's the confusing part." He said as AJ sat down, bouncing Maggie in her arms in hopes to soothe her back to sleep, "I mean… what would she be after? Her only job was to keep me in that house in Mexico and that is all… well cleared up." He shook his head.

"You don't really think she was just conveniently passing by at the right time, do you?" She shook her head.

"Well she had to have been." Punk said, "What else would she want? What is she getting out of calling an ambulance for my dad?" Punk asked as AJ just shook her head.

"I don't know." AJ sighed tiredly as Punk watched her.

"April, I want you to go home with the kids." Punk said, "I'll wait here for the doctor and then I'll come home. I promise." Punk nodded as AJ stood up and nodded.

"I think it's time we go back to work." AJ said as she walked by him. Her voice was angered but still calm and soft somehow. He knew she was beginning to feel like she no longer had power or the authority. Like they were just sat there, waiting for the next bad thing to happen, and she knew that work was her way of pulling that power back onto their side.

"Just go home and rest." Punk told her, lifting up Nova from the seats, her little head resting over his shoulder as she stayed fast asleep, following AJ out of the hospital to help her put the girls back in the car to drive home.

Once he kissed her off into the car, seeing the terrible look of exhaustion and 'I can't believe we're being fucked with again' on her face, he headed back into the hospital and into his father's room, pulling out the chair he had been sitting on.

He sat down and took a deep breath of patience. He wasn't leaving until his father had woke and was fit enough to speak to him about what happened. He wasn't here as his son now. He was here as a cop.

AJ was right. It was time they took back control and it was time they stepped back into the station.

* * *

"That's my baby." AJ smiled softly as she placed Maggie down in her crib as the little girl kicked her legs and made soft noises, "Yeah." AJ cooed as Maggie looked up at her, "You close those eyes." She whispered as Maggie shuffled around a little, making light whispery noises as AJ backed away out of the room, knowing that she'd drift over, she was good with falling asleep on her own. Nova had gone straight back into bed also, barely even stirring.

What AJ longed for was to crash into bed herself, but she couldn't. Not with so much in her mind.

She wandered into her and Punk's bedroom and headed to her dresser, pulling out a tight grey dress and throwing it at the end of the bed, taking her long coat and throwing it next to it.

She then moved round to her night stand and opened the top drawer, gazing down in it as she reached for her badge, grazing her thumb over the metal sheen, tossing it beside her dress and coat as she reached for her gun too in the drawer, sitting it out in front of her as she nodded folded her arms and nodded to herself.

It was time.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	79. Back

**Back**

* * *

Punk waited for a few hours at the hospital. The sun was already coming up from what he could see out of the small window in the room, and his father was starting to wake, very slowly. He wasn't going to bombard him with questions, but he had to ask. He had to know.

"How you feeling?" Punk asked as Dan just grumbled, laying on the bed, scared to move an inch in case he felt pain anywhere. It had been a long time since he was in hospital, and for the first time… it wasn't actually his fault.

"I've been better." Dan told him softly, "You shouldn't have stayed here all night. You… You need to go home." Dan ordered.

"I wanted to make sure you were ok." Punk said, "Doctor said you'll live. They got you here in time to stitch the bleeding. You'll be sore and you'll need a lot of bed rest but… you'll live." Punk nodded.

"Lucky for you." Dan teased as Punk smiled.

"Don't say it like that." Punk sighed, "I was terrified." He admitted truthfully, rubbing his palms together as Dan smiled softly. Sometimes, it was nice to know that you were cared for. "April was here with the kids but… I told her to go home. She looked exhausted." Punk said.

"No point in hanging around." Dan agreed.

"I hate to… have to ask, I know cops will be around later to speak to you but… do you have anything for me? A description? A face? Clothes? Anything?" Punk asked.

"I didn't see a face. From what I could tell it was a man, average height, and he..." Dan paused for a second, not sure if this was the best thing to tell his son.

"He what?" Punk shook his head.

"He… He told me to say hi to you." Dan shook his head as Punk looked across at him and nodded.

"So… it's someone who has an issue with me? So he went for you?" Punk said, "Great." He spat, "That's fucking great."

"Phil, just… just leave it to the cops. You-You go home." Dan insisted.

"Me and Ape… I think we're going back to work." Punk said, "I'm not sitting at home anymore just waiting for the next cloud to open up. First this happened, then it was one of those fraud agents assistant that called the ambulance for you…" He placed his hand on his forehead, sighing to himself, "I don't know how much I can keep up with."

"You carry on under this stress you're gonna end up ill." Dan told him, "It's not… it's not my place to tell you what to do but… is it a good idea to go back to work?"

"Maybe we'll actually start clearing things up for ourselves." Punk nodded, "AJ is fed up. I'm fed up. It's just one thing after another."

"You can't solve everything."

"At this point we've been solving nothing." Punk said, "We gotta get back. Nova goes to school. Maggie can go to Vanessa's, or Eve's. At this point I think they'd be safer out of the way than anywhere near me or Ape." Punk shook his head sadly.

"It's not your fault." Dan said.

"I know it isn't but… it has to stop." Punk said.

"You don't even know what you're stopping yet." Dan pointed out.

"Then we'll figure it out." Punk said, "Someway."

"I just… I don't want anyone else getting hurt." Dan sighed tiredly.

"Well clearly it's someone out to get me." Punk sighed, "It can only be so many people."

"Like who?" Dan asked.

"Well you now my first answer is obviously going to be Bray." Punk said.

"I know it wasn't him. This man was smaller." Dan assured him.

"Well then it has to be someone who knows my real dad then? Maybe he's got a connection outside and he's got someone to come kill me for putting him in prison, busting up his system?" Punk said.

"I don't know." Dan sighed.

"I don't know either." Punk groaned to himself.

"It all has to end at one point, right?" Dan asked him, this time looking for guidance from him as Punk just shook his head.

"I don't know anything at this point." Punk sighed to himself.

* * *

Punk stayed at the hospital for a little while longer until he couldn't function anymore and had to get home. He told his dad that he would visit later on, and headed home.

He got in the door, expecting Nova to be at school and Maggie to either be napping or in the living room with AJ, but neither were there, so he climbed the stairs slowly.

"Ape." Punk said softly, walking through to their bedroom as he saw AJ walking around in her underwear. He could tell her hair had been blow dried and straightened, and he could see a spot of make-up on her, as well as noticing one of her work dresses laying out on the bed, "Uh… what's going on?" Punk asked.

"I'm going to work." AJ said to him as his eyes followed her.

"Right now?" Punk asked.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "It's time we start making a move on this now. End it before it starts."

"What are we even ending?" Punk groaned, collapsing on the bed tiredly, "I don't even know what or who we're looking for. Dad says it's definitely not Bray, and whoever it was, told him to say hi to me." Punk said whilst AJ got her dress on.

"Well then we work it out." AJ said, "Maggie is with Eve and Nova is at school. I thought you'd be tired so, I can go on ahead if you wanna sleep." She told him as Punk sat back up.

"You're really going?" Punk asked her.

"I'm really going." AJ nodded, putting her coat on, "We can't just do nothing." She said, looking over at him.

"Are you sure you're ready to go back?" Punk asked.

"Honestly, I think I need it more than it needs me." She told him truthfully, "And I'm not… I'm not letting our family fall apart again. Whoever this is. We're gonna find them." She nodded to him as he smiled. She was so brave, and tough, and strong, and he was so glad to have such a steady figure in his life. When it seemed so easy to give up, she was the encouragement he needed.

"I'm gonna get some sleep and then… then I guess I'll join you." He nodded to her as she smiled, grabbing her badge and gun and walking over to him, "You sure you wanna go back?"

"Positive." AJ nodded, "No one fucks with us. I've had enough of expecting the worse." AJ said, "Whoever this is, and why Justine is suddenly around, we'll work it out." She nodded to him as he smiled, "And I love you." She said, placing her hands down on his shoulders, leaning down and giving him a soft kiss.

"I love you too." Punk smiled once she pulled back, watching her leave the bedroom as he collapsed back on their bed to catch a few hours' sleep.

* * *

AJ got into the station later on. The smell of coffee and investigation was something she had definitely missed. She hadn't been in the station since she was pregnant with Maggie, and since everything had happened. She felt fit enough to be back, but she also felt like it was the best thing for her and Punk, especially now that things seemed to be kick-starting again.

"What are you doing here?" Seth asked as he spotted AJ walking through the station, following her towards her office.

"I'm back." AJ told him simply, opening up her office door and walking on in, smiling to herself as she looked around.

"Seems a little sudden." Seth admitted, "How is Phil? His dad?" Seth asked.

"Dan is doing ok." AJ nodded, "Phil will be here in a few hours. We're gonna figure out who stabbed Dan. It's pretty convenient that one of those fraud agents showed up in perfect timing to call an ambulance for Dan." AJ said, "Phil reckons it must be coincidence but I'm not so sure." She shook her head.

"You sure it's wise? Taking all of this on? Remember the last case you took on?" He said as AJ looked up at him and nodded.

"It's different. We've had a lot of time off together to… rehab ourselves." AJ said, "And plus, Punk is commissioner. There's a lot expected of him." She said.

"As long as you're both ready, and not just adamant to find out who hurt Dan." Seth said.

"Little bit of both maybe." AJ said truthfully.

"Well… any help you need, you know we'll give you it." Seth smiled, placing his hand on AJ's shoulder as AJ nodded with a smile, "It is good to see you back here. It's been quiet without you and Phil." Seth admitted as AJ smiled.

"I'm just fed up of letting things run through our fingers." She said, "We're not targets, and we're certainly not victims." AJ shook her head as Seth nodded.

"Do you need me to do anything? Or Rocky or Dean?" Seth asked.

"I'm just gonna look over everything that Adam's got so far and I'll take it from there." She nodded to him.

"Ok. Give me a shout if you need anything." Seth said, leaving the office as AJ took a seat behind her desk, taking a deep breath. Her home away from home.

* * *

Later on that day, once Punk had got a few hours' sleep, he headed to the station to accompany AJ in returning to work. Everyone was glad to see them both back, and both of them were determined to get his father some justice, especially when the stabber had told him to say 'hi' to his son. Punk could only wonder about who wished to say hi to him whilst sticking a knife in his father.

Meanwhile, Eve had picked Nova up from school and taken her back to the house for dinner where Maggie and Tyler were also there. Eve happily worked part-time, spending her off days with Tyler and Seth, and happily agreed to keeping an eye on Nova and Maggie for AJ and Punk.

Once Nova had dinner, she sat over at the couch, crouched down on the floor doing her homework over the coffee table whilst Maggie sat over on her play mat. Tyler was napping upstairs and Eve was in the kitchen washing up from dinner.

"Maggie, how'd you spell door." Nova looked over to her sister as Maggie looked across at her, bewildered and unsure of what she was saying, "You don't know?" Nova asked, scribbling down on her homework book, "It' r. "Nova spelled out, "You don't know any words, do you?" Nova raised a brow as she looked at Maggie who threw one of her blocks across the room and babbled loudly, "So violent." Nova muttered to herself whilst switching from the TV to her homework.

When she picked up on a loud commotion from the kitchen, she looked up and turned around, putting her pencils down and sitting for a second. Maggie sat, picking at the fur on her stuffed lion as Nova stood up, "Stay here, Maggie." Nova ordered bossily as she wandered around the couch and headed for the kitchen, opening up the door as she saw Eve lying on the floor with a smashed bottle of wine broken to pieces around her.

Nova, frightened, immediately ran to Eve, "Eve." Nova said in a frail voice, nudging Eve on the shoulder as she didn't budge, "Eve, are you ok?" Nova asked with fear.

"She's fine." A male voice picked up as Nova looked up quickly and backed away. Suddenly, five months of play therapy, and her father telling her that the 'bad man' wouldn't come back, seemed pretty useless.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think. An exciting few chapters ahead so stay tuned. REVIEW and let me know what you think.**


	80. Partners

**Partners**

* * *

"Explain to them what you think is going on." AJ said, sitting in a board room with Punk, Dean, Seth and Rocky. They'd been at the station for a few hours now. It felt great to be back, on behalf of both Punk and AJ. They only wished it was under better circumstances than trying to figure out who caused harm to Dan, and had ultimately wanted to send a message to Punk, but nevertheless, it felt good to be back at work, and be somewhat in control of things, to an extent.

"The only thing I can think of is… Billy has got connections from out of prison. He's got an old friend or work partner to visit him in prison, and he's told him to go after me or in this case my family, to send a message from him." Punk shrugged, "And it has to be a coincidence that Justine was there. She said that Carter doesn't even work with the company anymore and… she really didn't seem that bothered."

"Well it's obviously someone who knows you." Dean said, "If your dad said they told him to say hi to you, it's obviously not someone out to get Dan, but someone out to get you." He said.

"Of course." Punk groaned a little, "That's all I can think of." He said, "And before any of you say, I'll address the elephant in the room… it can't be Bray. One, Bray wasn't after me, two, my dad said it was a smaller guy." He said.

"Then it must be Billy." Seth said, "Who else is it really gonna be at this point?" He asked.

"I'll call the penitentiary that he's in. Ask for names of the visitors he's had in the last few months." Rocky nodded to them, standing up and leaving the room.

"I'll go talk to Adam, see if there's any witnesses came by or anything else they've picked up on." Dean nodded to them, leaving the room as AJ and Punk sat with Seth.

"Scared?" Seth asked them sadly, sitting across from AJ and Punk.

"Fed up." Punk corrected him, "Everything… Everything seems so personal. I remember showing up to work and… never taking anything home with me. Ever." Punk said.

"Just a bad share of luck." Seth said, "Nothing you can do but… keep calm, keep ready and put whatever skills and advantages we have to good use." Seth nodded to them.

"I was itching to get back anyway." AJ admitted truthfully, "Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed these past few months, as mentally challenging as they were, we had time together as a family, we had little vacations and we moved into our house and a lot of good things happened… but-"

"But the detective in you is never gonna leave." Seth smiled to her, "I get it." He nodded, "The place isn't the same without you both anyway." He told them truthfully as they gave out a soft smile, "No need to work yourselves into the ground, though." He reminded them.

"It'll probably be a few days here and then for the time being." Punk said, "My dad is normally go to babysitter for the kids but obviously he's in no condition. Eve was great looking after the girls today for us." Punk nodded.

"She was just in the house with Ty anyway." Seth said, "And she loves the girls." He said as AJ and Punk smiled, "Unless you guys need me, today is my early day." He said, looking at his watch that had gone by 6pm.

"Early." Punk scoffed.

"Anything beats getting home at 10." Seth stood up, "Can I go, boss?" Seth smirked to Punk who laughed lightly.

"What if I say no?" Punk said.

"I'd go anyway." Seth waved his hand as Punk nodded.

"Get out of here." Punk just shook his head.

"We won't be much longer here." AJ said, "We'll come straight for the girls." She smiled.

"See you then." Seth smiled, leaving the room, leaving Punk and AJ in themselves.

"Feel good to be back?" Punk asked her, turning to face her in the revolving chair as AJ nodded.

"It does feel good to be back." AJ admitted, "Feels like a relief more than anything actually." She admitted, "And I don't feel it's too soon. Do you?" She asked him.

"No." Punk shook his head, "No, I think this is the right time. And I want this shit sorted out. It's our job, isn't it?" Punk shrugged as AJ nodded.

"We should get out there then." AJ smiled, standing up and placing her hand on his shoulder, "Cases don't solve themselves out." She said as he smiled, watching her walk out of the room. Although things were very disturbing, he felt that their five months of rehab as a family had really prepared them to deal with these situations appropriately, and calmly. They'd been to the very bottom. Nothing could get scarier than that…

* * *

Seth got home half an hour after leaving the station, having called in for some dinner for he and Eve. He figured Eve would have got the kids dinner sorted earlier, and he knew how much she loved to be surprised with food.

He got into the house, opening up the front door and dumping down his gun and other things in his pockets on the stand beside the door.

He wanted to exclaim out that he'd brought food, but he was warned from Eve never to come into the house yelling incase he woke up Tyler, or in this case Maggie too.

He headed down the hall and into the living room which was deserted and eerily quiet with nothing but the TV playing in the corner down low. It looked like Nova's homework had been abandoned at the coffee table, and Maggie's toys and stuffed animals were also abandoned.

He just shook his head and carried on, walking through to the kitchen and pausing, dropping the bag of food he had brought home as he saw Eve lying on the floor.

"Eve!" Seth panicked, "Oh my God." He scrambled to his knees beside her, turning her over on her back slowly, feeling blood in her hair as he noticed the discarded bottle of wine around her. He put one and one together, along with the opened back door, and figured someone had come in and smashed a bottle of wine over her head, a bottle she was no doubt in the midst of drinking.

"Eve?" Seth stroked her cheek, shaking her lightly as he watched her eyes began to blink open, immediately becoming a state of panic as she looked up at Seth.

"Tyler." Eve immediately said, "The girls." She said woozily, her head in pain, the whole room spinning as Seth helped her to sit up on the kitchen floor.

"Don't move." Seth said, rushing out of the kitchen and climbing the stairs almost three at a time, tumbling into Tyler's room and taking a huge sigh of relief as he saw his son lying in his crib fast asleep. He placed his hand on his beating chest, slowly backing out of the room and scrambling back down to Eve's aid, "He's ok. Tyler's ok." Seth assured her, "I… I can't find the girls." He shook his head as tears welled in Eve's eyes.

"It was him." Eve shook her head with fear, remembering the man from court, that horrid, dirty, beastly man, "I saw him in the cupboard reflection." She explained. She had been tidying up from Nova's dinner. The back door had been open as the kitchen had gotten warm, and when she saw the reflection of Bray in the glass cupboard, she barely had enough time to do anything before he smashed the bottle of wine across her head.

"Bray?" Seth asked as Eve nodded and gulped, "Ok, you need a doctor. You need to go to hospital." Seth said.

"N-No I have to… I have to get the girls." Eve shook her head, already feeling useless, like she was to blame, "April will kill me." She cried.

"You're no use to anyone like this." Seth assured her, "I'll take care of it, but first we're going to the hospital. Ok?" Seth said, "You're sure it was him?" He sighed.

"I'm positive." Eve sighed, "Are the girls really not here?" She cried.

"I'll look again. They might be hiding." Seth nodded positively as Eve nodded hopefully. Both deep inside, both of them knew, they weren't here, "You just stay here, ok." Seth caressed her cheek as he left the kitchen again and walked around the downstairs area.

"Nova!" Seth called, "Nova, it's just Seth." He exclaimed, "Nova!" He called through the house desperately, but it was no use. They were gone.

* * *

"Stop squirming!" Bray hissed, holding Nova around the waist with one arm whilst his other supported Maggie who had cried the entire journey to the leaking basement they were brought to. It wasn't much of a basement. It seemed like an abandoned house.

Nova hadn't cried yet, but she was scared. She wasn't old enough to understand just how endangered she was, but she was old enough to realise this man wasn't a good man. This was the man who hurt her. The man who gave her severe PTSD. The man who her father promised would never come back, or harm her again.

Despite Nova pretty much freezing in fear, she was still trying to squirm her way out of Bray's tight grip, yet she didn't want to, because she would never leave her sister behind. She'd already yelled at Bray twice for him to not hurt Maggie.

"Look at this pretty room." Bray smiled, "Look how pretty is it. Fit for two princesses." He said, placing Nova down in the centre of a bright pink room, sitting Maggie down on the floor as the near six-month old cried hard.

"It's not pretty." Nova folded her arms, "I want my mommy and daddy. You're… You're a bad man." Nova told him over Maggie's cries.

"No." Bray shook his head, "No. I am wonderful. I am your saviour, sweetheart. You belong here." He crouched down in front of Nova in the centre of the room. The rest of the house was broken down besides the one room in which was designed for a little girl. It was bright pink with dollies and pink curtains and pink covers on the bed. It was so bright it could give anyone a migraine.

"You can't hurt me or my sister." Nova warned.

"I'll do as I please." Bray said, "But I do not intend to inflict pain." He spoke as Nova barely understood his varied vocabulary, "This is your home. This is the only place you are safe. In my depths. Where I can see. And me and my sister will raise you as our own. When I get her out, she will come home to her daughters and we will be the perfect family." Bray smiled creepily, reaching out to touch Nova who grabbed his wrist and twisted it. Although her little grip was fierce, it didn't match Bray's, and he immediately shook his hand from hers and then let out a shattering laugh that filled the full room, "You are safe here. But you can be punished, my dear girl." Bray explained, "You do not raise your hand to me. I am your saviour."

"You're a bad man!" Nova yelled, "And I want my mommy and daddy." She sighed, her lip quivering as she began to give in to her fear.

"You'll never see your mommy or daddy again." Bray told her, looking her right in her brown eyes as she looked at him tearfully, "Mommy and daddy are gone. And they're never coming back." He said as Nova's tears rolled down her cheeks, "You have a new mommy and daddy now."

"No!" Nova yelled as Bray stood up, walking out of the room and closing the door over, locking it with a set of keys only he had to all the rooms in the abandoned house.

He walked down the stairs, leaving Maggie crying in the pink room whilst Nova tried desperately to get out. He enjoyed the attempts she made on the handle, laughing to himself as he headed down the stairs and into the empty living room.

"You told me you'd have Phil Brooks for me. Not his two girls." Carter folded his arms as Bray looked across at him.

"In good time, my friend." Bray smiled, "Where the girls go, he follows. Just watch." Bray said as Carter raised a brow.

"You better not me screwing me over, here." Carter warned, "I didn't arrange a fake alibi for you for nothing. I didn't stab an old man for nothing. I want Phil Brooks. You promised me Phil Brooks." Carter demanded.

"And you shall have him." Bray put his hands out in order for Carter to calm down, "These things take some time. Where his girls go, he shall follow, and then he is all yours, the girls are all mine, and if he brings along his woman, you can have her too. I need them both out of the picture." He said, "Everyone will get exactly what they want. Just like you proposed."

"They better." Carter warned, "I'm going out to call Justine. Maybe she'll give me an update on where Phil is at." He smirked.

"Do as you wish." Bray nodded, "Partner."

* * *

"Where is Punk and AJ?" Seth asked, bursting back into the station, going so fast he could barely keep up with himself. He'd left Eve at the hospital getting examined whilst Tyler had gone to a neighbour.

"They'd gone out to look around where Dan had been stabbed." Rocky said, noticing Seth flustered and panicked, "They left a while ago though, they should be back soon." He said, "Is everything ok?" Rocky wondered.

"No." Seth shook his head, "No. No." Seth repeated, running out of the station.

"Wait! Seth-" Rocky paused as he watched Seth leave the station in a rush.

Seth ran out of the station doors, just in time to bump into AJ and Punk coming back into the station.

"Hey, I thought you'd gone home." Punk shook his head as AJ smiled, both she and Punk frowning once they saw the look on Seth's face, "Hey, you ok?"

"What's wrong, Seth?" AJ asked with worry.

"It's the girls." Seth placed his hands on his hips and shook his head as Punk and AJ stiffened immediately, "I went home and Eve was knocked out on the floor. The girls were gone. She… She told me it was Bray. She saw him." Seth shook his head, "He's got them."

"W-What?" AJ shook her head, dropping the folder she had in her hand onto the ground as the papers blew out of it onto the street.

Meanwhile Punk just stared at Seth in a trance, like he was a foreign object. To have had Maggie ripped from them once into so much unsafety was the complete definition of torture, but to have both their daughter's in the grips of the man who had no good intentions was so much more painful than torture. It was like they were repeatedly dying, and then biting awake just to hear that their daughters weren't safe.

"Eve said it was definitely him. And the girls weren't in the house. He-He has to have them." Seth shook his head as he looked at both AJ and Punk. He'd never saw them look the way they had right at that second. Both of them were a green colour, and he felt like if he even so much as pressed his finger onto them they would collapse over.

"I'm gonna get everyone out searching." Seth told them, "See if we can find anything about Bray's whereabouts since he was released-" He finished as he watched AJ run over to the side of the building, doubling over and throwing up as Punk just stared into space.

"He… He has them?" Punk looked at Seth who nodded.

"We'll get them." Seth nodded, still in a panic, "Phil, we'll get them, I promise." He said.

"G-Go… Go into the station. I want… everyone. Everyone out. Get Rocky on plates and cameras." Punk nodded, starting to regain reality and realising just what was at stake here. His entire world. That's what.

"Ok." Seth nodded, running back into the station as Punk made his way over to AJ who had her hands on the wall, taking deep breaths as Punk placed his hand on her back.

"April." Punk said in a tone for her to listen to, "We're gonna get them." He rubbed her back softly as she looked down at the ground and shook her head, "Yes. We will get them." Punk nodded.

"Just… Just give me a second." AJ shook her head as Punk nodded, stepping away and wandering numbly into the station as AJ stayed holding onto the wall, her head down as she shut her eyes tightly. No one hurt their babies. No one.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	81. Hopeless Love

**Hopeless Love**

* * *

"Maggie needs food." Nova said once Bray had appeared back in the room upstairs with them. Maggie had stopped crying and was more so whimpering now as she sat on the ground whilst Nova stood beside her, "That's why she's crying." Nova implied smartly.

"I say when you both eat." Bray said, "For now, it's getting late. So it's time for bed." He said as Nova shook her head.

"No. I'm not sleeping. I'm not doing what you say. You're a bad man." Nova shook her head.

"I'm not a bad man." Bray shook his head, walking over to the bed in the corner and pulling the covers back, "Time for bed." He patted the pillow as Nova stood still beside Maggie who sat looking around.

"No." Nova said, "You can't tell me what to do." She shook her head.

"You are under my roof now." Bray spat, "And you'll do as I say. Like a good girl." He said as Nova glared across at him. Although still very frightened as any child would be, she felt confident enough to stay strong from all the therapy she had gotten over the past few months. At the end of the day, she was still begging for her mother and father to come rescue her, but she felt like it was her job to be strong, for her and her little sister.

"Only if Maggie comes with me." Nova negotiated.

"Maggie has her crib." Bray pointed over to the white crib at the bottom of the bed, "She'll be just over there." He nodded.

"No. She comes in with me." Nova spat, "And you get her some food."

"She doesn't need food. I know her. I know what she wants and doesn't want." Bray said, "Now get in bed before I put you in." He warned as Nova unfolded her arms, slowly walking around Bray and getting into the bed, sitting up as she watched Bray lift Maggie up. Like any normal good sister, she had a hard time, as young as she was, seeing this bad man put his hands on her sister.

"She doesn't like you. She hates you." Nova said childishly.

"She loves me." Bray replied, putting Maggie down in the crib as Maggie whimpered. She wasn't keen on the surroundings, and she wanted, just like Nova, to see her mother or her father's face. Two faces she sought comfort in.

"No, she doesn't." Nova said hastily.

"You'll both go to sleep." Bray warned, "Now." He casted his eyes over to Nova who folded the covers over herself, "I hear everything. I see everything." He said, "So lay down and sleep or else I'll be very unhappy." He said as Nova sighed, sliding down the bed with fear, "Good." Bray nodded, "Your mother will be so excited to see you when she gets out. Not only will she have one, but two daughter's waiting on her."

"My mommy will hurt you." Nova told him bitterly as Bray just laughed it off.

"Sweet child." Bray smiled, "Sleep." He said, walking out of the room and shutting the light off as Nova gasped.

"No, I don't like the dark." Nova sat up and shook her head as Bray smiled, slamming the door shut and locking it over as Nova whimpered. Normally her mother or father would wait with her until she fell asleep in the comfort of her own bedroom at home, with her glow bear in her arms, her father's colourful fingers stroking her head whilst he sat at the edge of the bed. She was finding it hard not to burst out into loud cries.

Once Bray had gone back downstairs, deluded yet as calm as he was, he saw Carter pacing up and down in the bare living room.

Carter had approached him whilst he was in remand, and had gone over a plan, using Bray's clear insanity and want for Maggie, and now Nova, to get himself closer to Punk. He felt it was the perfect opportunity, and Bray jumped at the idea of getting out of a sentence and avenging his sister for the children she so desperately wanted to mother. He was under the impression she would be coming for them, and she'd be so happy and pleased with him.

"Justine told me that Phil and April have the entire station out looking for the girls. We can't afford for a whole station of cops to find us. All we need is Phil and April." Carter said, "So when is the right time to get them here?"

"Well as soon as possible." Bray said, "But how?" He asked.

"I think I could negotiate with Philip in private on the phone." Carter smiled, "But I might need some assistance. If you know what I mean." He winked as Bray smirked.

* * *

Punk and AJ had all uniformed cops out on the hunt for the girls. Rocky and Dean were taking care of figuring out Bray's surroundings for the past few weeks, and what he had been up to, as well as trying to figure out if the girls were taken away in a car.

Whilst Punk and AJ had returned to the place in which gave AJ terrible nightmares, the place she was kidnapped and gave birth, hoping that maybe that's where Bray had returned to, Punk felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

Eager, he quickly got the phone out as he and AJ stood outside the small abandoned house in the dark. He answered the phone and put it on loud speaker.

"Yeah?" Punk said, expecting it to be another cop with news of some sort. Hopeful news.

"Philip Brooks." Carter spoke as Punk shook his head as AJ looked up at him, "It's been a while since I heard that glorious voice of yours."

"Carter?" Punk shook his head, "What-What are you calling for? What the hell?" Punk said.

"I'm calling to summon your presence as a matter of fact." Carter said, "You and your lovely girlfriend." He said as AJ gulped, "Are you alone?"

"What?" Punk shook his head, still trying to wrap his head around why Carter was calling him.

"Are you alone, yes or no?" Carter asked.

"It's just me and April." Punk replied.

"Wonderful." Carter said, "Now before you start trying to track this phone, which obviously is untraceable, or you start making arrangements with your friends, I need you to promise me that this phone call stays between the three of us." He said.

"Carter, what the fuck is going on? I-I don't have time for this-"

"Philip, promise me now." Carter said, "It may result in your daughter's life." He said as Punk's eyes widened as he turned to AJ, "Which one? You must be wondering." He laughed cruelly.

"You bastard." Punk spat, "You-You and him?" Punk shook his head, "You're with Bray?"

"Indeed." Carter said as AJ placed her hand over her mouth, "You still haven't promised me."

"Promise you what? That I'm not going to tear your head from your shoulders when you give me the address you're at?" Punk hissed.

"Promise me that you come to me, you and April, on your own." Carter said as Punk looked to AJ, both of them silent as Carter waited, "Phil, in about ten seconds, you're going to hear the sound of your daughter's arm snapping in half. The one that wasn't snapped before-"

"No!" AJ clung onto Punk, "No, don't." AJ pleaded into the phone.

"Alright alright." Punk said immediately, "Ok. Give me the address and we'll be there just… please, don't hurt them. Leave them alone." Punk sighed.

"Promise you'll come alone? If you don't and we see blue lights flashing then it'll be your daughter's neck I snap, and not her arm. And I'm talking about both of them this time." Carter warned as AJ held onto Punk tightly.

"I promise you. I promise. We'll come alone." Punk nodded frantically, "Just don't hurt them, ok? Don't touch them." He said.

"Great." Carter smiled as he then gave AJ and Punk the address and directions to where they were, "You don't come with your guns raised. You don't come in with negotiations. You come to us and we say what happens next. Am I clear?" He spat as Punk nodded.

"Yeah. It's clear." Punk nodded, "It's clear." He said.

"Good." Carter said, "Perhaps a little motivation will get you here quicker." He said as the phone crackled a little, "Nova, say hi to mommy and daddy on the phone." Carter said, pulling Nova over by the waist and sitting her on his lap, even when she tried to squirm away.

AJ felt her heart beating rapidly fast as Punk held his phone tightly in front of him.

"Say hi." Carter gripped Nova's wrist tightly, where the only thing AJ and Punk picked up on was Nova's cries.

"Hey!" AJ yelled, "We're coming alone. Don't you dare hurt her." AJ spat, "Either of them." She warned.

"Mommy it's the bad man!" Nova exclaimed as Carter put his hand over her mouth whilst AJ placed her hand over her mouth and cried silently.

"You hurt her and I will tear you limb from limb. That goes for Bray too." Punk spat.

"I don't think you are in any position to be making threats, Philip. Just get here." Carter spat, hanging up as Punk looked at the phone lose connection.

He threw the phone on the ground and placed his hands in his head, breathing heavily as AJ watched him.

"We have to go." AJ nodded, "We have to go now." She told him as he nodded, making their way to the car as they got in and headed to the address they had been given, following the directions too.

* * *

It took them around forty minutes to get to the destination. It probably should have taken them an hour but Punk put his foot down on the gas and flew by every red light there was.

When they got to the address, it appeared to be an abandoned house. Obviously, it was. But it was yet again off of a slip road, through a dirt road, through a forest and then past a lake. Clearly a well thought of destination out of the way of everything.

They got out of the car, both being too afraid to speak to one another on the journey there. The only way they would ever have been helpless was if their girls were being used against them. It meant they had everything to lose, and that was a scary thought.

"Welcome guests." Carter smiled as he swung open the door as AJ and Punk paused and glared across at him. It took so much for both of them not to just shoot right there and then, but they knew there was another beast in the house with their daughter's, and they couldn't afford to make a mistake, "Drop your guns where you are." He said as AJ and Punk took their guns out and dropped them on the ground, "Good. I like cooperation." He smiled, "Now you can come in." He said as AJ and Punk walked on towards the house, "Raise a hand or play hero then it's those beautiful little girls that get the punishment." He made clear, really having AJ and Punk's hands tied without any rope. Yet.

AJ and Punk stepped into the broken-down house, and Punk was already looking for different ways out, and possible places that the girls were. He saw there was an upstairs and figured that's where the girls would be. If he got the chance, the safe chance, that's where he'd go first.

AJ and Punk began to walk around the corner and into the living room when Carter laughed.

"I don't think so." Carter said, "You're going downstairs." He informed them as AJ and Punk looked at one another, "Don't look so frightened. It's just a basement. What could go wrong in a basement?" He smirked, "Go on." He said as AJ and Punk headed towards the door on the side with the stairs attached to it, walking down into darkness as Carter followed them eagerly.

"Why are you doing this?" Punk asked calmly.

"A lot of reasons, Philip." Carter nodded, "All reasons that will be explained in good time." He said, "Look at this, I've already prepared for your arrival." He smiled as he pointed to the two chairs in the centre of the basement facing one another.

"Where are my daughters?" AJ spat as she looked at Carter, "You can hurt us. Torture us. I don't care, but you let them go. They've not done anything."

"A deal is a deal, and I promised Bray that he could get your girls if it meant I could get you both here." Carter said as Punk's nostrils flared, "You see, stabbing your father wasn't easy, but I needed a distraction for you both. Justine was there to make sure he didn't die." He shrugged, "I knew if we had the girls, then it'd only be a matter of time before we had you both too."

"You set him up with the fake alibi, didn't you?" Punk shook his head, "You and all your fake agents?" Punk spat.

"I'm a free agent now actually." Carter said, "But yes, I did help Bray get out of his sentencing." He smiled, "I figured his assistance would be a great help."

"A free agent? Meaning you got fired because I got out of your watch and got back home all the way from Mexico?" Punk teased lightly as Carter smiled.

"You can joke about it all you like but… who is the one in control now?" Carter smiled as Punk and AJ glared at him, "Go take a seat." He smiled sadistically at them, "I won't ask twice." He said as AJ and Punk glanced at one another, and then headed over to the chairs, turning them around, "Uh, no… face each other." He said, "That's why I set them like that." He told them as AJ and Punk sat down facing each other.

"What do you want?" Punk spat as Carter made his way over to them, starting to tie them to the chairs as AJ was scanning the room around her for any sort of things they could use as an advantage.

"I want my revenge, Philip." Carter said, "I lost my job. I lost a four-year ordeal that I worked so carefully to cover up… a cover-up in which you both uncovered." Carter said.

"What was happening was illegal." AJ spat whilst he tightened the rope around her wrists around the chair.

"What was happening, whether you both see it this way or not, was I was protecting you, Phil." Carter said, "Your father, Billy, and his two brothers, they wanted you dead, and I took you and placed you into safety."

"You destroyed my life." Punk spat, "Just to keep your bosses happy." Punk said, fully tied up as he faced AJ who was already working on getting untied somehow. He could see she was looking around the room for something, anything, but there was nothing.

"But I began to care about you, Phil." Carter said, "I cared for you like a father cares for his son. I wanted to protect you."

"You wanted to do your job right." Punk spat.

"I wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt, and yes, I had a job to do and I carried it out… until you both fucked it up." He said as AJ glared up at him.

"What you done was just as illegal as the man who were actually part of that system." AJ spat, "Trading women, smuggling drugs, abusing people… how could you stand by and cover that up?"

"Because it was best for business, April." Carter said, circling around them both, "So when you eventually came back from the dead, Phil, I had to go into my own hiding out of humiliation, embarrassment." Carter spat, "And then I started planning my revenge. I figured… what was the one thing that kept you going those four years in Mexico? What kept you fighting and breathing?" He smiled, "That's right. His family." Carter smirked as Punk glared up at him, "So what better way to bring this all full circle than having the full family here." Carter clapped his hands together excitedly.

"You are scum." Punk spat.

"Maybe." Carter nodded, "But I would much rather be scum than the hero who saves the day." Carter said, "Because after a while, you're not going to be able to be the hero, and you're going to disappoint people. Being a hero puts a lot of pressure on those tattooed shoulders of yours, doesn't it?" Carter smiled, crouched down to Punk's level to belittle him as Punk collected the saliva in his mouth and spat on Carter.

"Get out of my face." Punk warned as Carter stood up straight and wiped his face.

"Bad start, Philip. Bad start." Carter said, "You know, I might have your daughter's upstairs but… I have April right here in front of you." He smiled as Punk's nostrils twitched.

"You put your hands on me, I swear-"

"You'll what, April?" Carter laughed, "You two have pretty much just sacrificed yourself for your daughter's and… in the end, they're not even gonna go free." He chuckled, "And the last thing that you'll both think about, before you die, is how unsafe they both are, in the hands of a monster." Carter smiled as Punk began trying to break out of the rope, but it was thick and tight, "Oh, please." Carter scoffed, standing behind AJ's chair as Punk looked up at him.

"What do you see in him, April?" Carter asked, whispering in AJ's ear as AJ looked directly across at Punk, "A woman like you needs a real man." He whispered in her ear.

"Like you?" AJ laughed to herself, "You wouldn't have a clue on how to please a woman." AJ chuckled as Punk smiled.

"You two really are the duo, aren't you?" Carter smiled, "You can joke around as much as you want. Pretend you're not scared. But you are both tied to a chair down here. What are you going to do when you start hearing little screams from upstairs?" He asked as Punk looked up at him, "You'll do nothing." He whispered in AJ's ear, "Just like Phil is going to do nothing if I do this." He said, sliding his hand over AJ's shoulder and down between her breasts, all the while looking across at Punk who only saw red, trying his damn hardest to break free of the rope.

"Get your hands off of me." AJ spat with disgust as she felt his hand wander over her breasts.

"What about this, Phil?" Carter smiled, pressing a kiss on AJ's cheek as AJ quickly pushed her head away.

"Stop it." Punk spat.

"Well, c'mon… why else did you think I asked you to face one another?" He chuckled, standing back up straight, "It won't just be one-sided though, don't worry. I mean… I could just do this…" He quickly took his gun out, pointing it at Punk's knee cap and pulling the trigger as AJ jumped.

"What are you doing?!" AJ screamed with fear as Punk winced and groaned in unbearable pain.

"I'm just getting started."

* * *

 **A/N: Deep few chapter ahead. Let me know what you think!**


	82. Daughter Of A Detective

**Daughter Of A Detective**

* * *

"What are you doing?!" AJ exclaimed, watching as Punk clenched his teeth in pain, rolling his head back and forth as his knee bled out, any small movement on it making it unbearably painful. AJ couldn't bear to watch it, and if this is what Carter had in mind for them, as some sort of revenge for blowing his job, then she was not up for it in the slightest.

"I'm teaching you both a lesson." Carter said.

"I'm fine." Punk gasped, shaking his head then nodding it to AJ, looking up at her, "It's ok." He said breathlessly, finding it hard to gain normal breathing when he was in so much pain.

"How sweet." Carter smiled, "You really do make my heart throb." He nodded sincerely, "Are you really fine, Phil?" He questioned, crouching down beside him, "What if I just… do this…" He placed his hand over Punk's full knee cap, squeezing it as tightly as he could as Punk yelled out in pain.

"Stop it!" AJ cried, "Stop." She begged as Carter let go of Punk's knee, "Why are you doing this to us?" AJ asked desperately.

"You know why." Carter said, taking off his coat, starting to get warmed up now whilst Punk sat in pain.

"We went our separate ways." AJ said, "You didn't have to cross paths with us ever again. That was how we left it." She said, "You don't have to do this." She nodded, beginning to think that all she could do now was negotiate, she was just concerned about how much blood Punk was losing, having been trained, she knew that his knee was much better than the shoulder or the chest, which there was more chance of severing an artery, which could have killed him right in the spot. That's probably why Carter was choosing wisely.

"I do have to do this, April." Carter said, "I mean… it was inevitable that Bray ended up getting the girls again. But now you definitely can save them. That must be torture in itself." He smiled, "How does that make you feel, knowing your girls are going to be raised by a sociopath. Because let's be real, between me and you, the guy is pretty insane, who knows what he'll do to those girls once he gets them alone-"

"Shut up!" Punk yelled loudly as Carter turned to him.

"Even if you do somehow break free, which you won't, you won't be able to walk out of here." Carter smiled.

"Keep shooting me. Shoot me in the head if you want. All I ask is that you let April and the girls go. You have an issue with me. So let's settle it. You and me. You already have the advantage over me." He nodded to his knee.

"Oh, April is just as big a part of this as you are for me. She was the one sticking her nose where it didn't belong in the first place." Carter said, "Isn't that right, April?" He smiled, standing behind AJ and looking on at Punk, "You seem awful tense." He said, placing his hands-on AJ's shoulders, "I thought you'd get a kick out of seeing Phil hurt. You're a little crazy like that too, aren't you?" He leaned down, whispering in her ear as Punk watched, as if he already wasn't in enough pain with his knee, watching Carter so close to AJ made him want to explode.

"You're pathetic." AJ whispered.

"I'm in control." Carter said, running his hand over her neck as Punk watched angrily, "What happened to your tattoo?" He asked her, noticing the two swallows on her shoulder which had been scarred over from the time her sister's killer had captured her.

"None of your business." AJ spat.

"You are all my business now." Carter chuckled, running his hand back over her neck, kissing her cheek whilst looking over at Punk who was glaring at him, "You mad?" Carter smiled to him whilst AJ turned away in disgust.

"Take your hands off her." Punk hissed, "The more you anger me, the more brutal your beating will be when I break free." Punk assured him.

"You're not breaking free." Carter smirked, running his hand down AJ's chest again as AJ turned away, repulsed by this man's weak attempt to gain control.

"This is how you feel in control?" AJ pity laughed, "You're a sad man." She told him, "The only way you gain control is by touching me? That make you feel big?" AJ asked as Carter immediately ran his hand back up and grabbed her around her neck, tilting her head back whilst Punk gritted his teeth.

"You need to shut your mouth." Carter hissed, taking his gun back out as AJ watched with fear, "Phil, I'm going to shoot April right below her rib cage, grazing her lung so it slowly collapses, making it harder and harder for her to breathe as the hours go on, until she finally takes her last breath." Carter said as Punk shook his head.

"No… no no no… shoot me. Shoot me again." Punk nodded, "Don't." Punk begged, "Please." He said as AJ looked at the gun pointed at her. It wasn't the first, and she knew it wouldn't be the last, but she couldn't lie when she said she wasn't scared now.

"As much as it is tempting, I'll pass." Carter said, pulling the trigger and shooting AJ right where he promised he would as AJ screamed and Punk watched on in horror as the blood began to seep out of her dress.

"No." Punk shook his head, "No, please don't. She-She needs help." Punk begged, "Please." Punk cried, "Please I'm begging you." Punk shook his head, looking across at AJ who doubled over, already gasping for air as she doubled in excruciating pain.

"You're gonna die too, so there's no point in begging me." Carter laughed, "Have fun watching her struggle. I'll be back." Carter smiled, walking off to the stairs and climbing up them as Punk looked on at AJ.

"April. April, look at me." Punk said as AJ lifted her head slowly, "It's ok, baby. You're not… You're not gonna die." Punk nodded as AJ wheezed heavily for air, already starting to lose it.

"I'm scared." AJ gasped as Punk nodded.

"I know." Punk sighed, "I know, just… focus on your breathing. I'm gonna… I'm gonna get us out of here, ok?" He nodded to her. Even though he didn't have a plan, he had to convince AJ he was thinking of something, to make sure she kept fighting. She had a few hours before her lung would collapse and she'd bleed out, and he refused to sit and watch his girlfriend die a slow death.

* * *

Carter made his way upstairs from the basement and locked the door over, walking on into the living room area where Bray was sitting on the floor with a lantern sitting beside him, the only form of light in the room.

"Put a light on." Carter scoffed as he switched the main light on.

"The sound of pain downstairs was rather soothing." Bray admired.

"Yeah? Well there's a lot of it." Carter chuckled, "You're free to go with the girls now. If you want. We've both got we wanted."

"I travel in daylight." Bray said.

"Why?" Carter raised a brow.

"Everyone suspects movement in the night." Bray said, "I will take my girls tomorrow morning, sunrise." Bray smiled happily.

"What is it you plan on doing with them anyway?" Carter wondered, although not caring that much.

"I raise them as my own. I take them to their real mother. She will be so pleased. She will be reunited with Sarah. The other I took for myself." He nodded, "I am their saviours." He said as Carter just nodded along.

"Well, we both got what we wanted." Carter smiled to himself, "It was a pleasure to do business with you." He said as Bray just hummed.

Meanwhile upstairs, Nova sat on the edge of the bed in the bright room, thankfully having found the light switch. Maggie had somehow fallen asleep despite their situation, but Nova knew she had to act quickly. She had her mother's quick instincts, and her father's quick judgement on how best to get herself and Maggie to safety, but… she was still just a frightened little girl.

She thought of ways in which she could get the door opened, and suddenly grabbed the bobby pin from her hair at the back, bending it open a little as she stood at the door. She'd saw it in movies and cartoons that she'd watched.

She immediately ditched the pin and door when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs, rushing back into bed and turning the light off to pretend she was sleeping.

She listened as the door opened up.

"I heard your footsteps." Bray hummed as Nova shook with fear, "Someone was out of their bed." He said as Nova hugged the covers tightly to herself, "Why were you out of bed?" He asked as Nova opened her eyes.

"I just… I had to move my legs." Nova explained, "I'm sleeping now." She said childishly.

"Get up." Bray demanded as Nova watched him, sitting up and standing out of bed, feeling him suddenly grab her arm as she winced a little.

"You're hurting me." She cried, "Don't take me away from Maggie." She begged as Bray dragged her out of the room and down the stairs where Carter was waiting at the bottom where the door to the basement was, opening it up and standing at the top.

"Oh, Philip!" Carter whistled as Punk looked up to the stairs, not seeing anything but hearing just fine, having been convincing AJ to keep breathing steady, and keep focusing on him.

Punk listened up to what was going on, suddenly hearing, "You're hurting me." In Nova's voice as he rolled his head back with anger and frustration whilst AJ looked up.

"Nova." AJ whispered, only managing a whisper.

"She's having a great time with us!" Carter yelled down as Bray continued to grip Nova's wrist tightly, inflicting pain on her so that Punk and AJ could hear it all.

"Please stop!" Punk yelled up. He would have done anything.

"Afraid not." Carter chuckled, slamming the basement door shut again whilst Bray took Nova back up the stairs, pulling her up by the arm and throwing her back in the room, locking the door behind him as Nova sat on the floor, standing back up and picking her pin back out from under her pillow, dusting herself off bravely and walking quietly back over to the door to attempt to get it unlocked.

"April, look at me." Punk said as AJ's head rolled around weakly, struggling to find air, in pain as she looked down at the ground, finding it hard to even lift her head, "April, look at me." He said as AJ looked up at him, "We're gonna get out of this, ok? Just like we always do." He said as AJ shook her head.

"I-I don't care about me." AJ gasped, "Just get the girls out." She nodded, "Leave me." She figured if time was precious, she didn't want to hold up that time. She wanted the girls to reach safety first.

"We're all walking out of here." Punk promised, still in excruciating pain with his knee, listening as the basement door opened again and Carter came back downstairs.

"Anyone dead yet?" Carter laughed.

"What are you getting out of this, man?" Punk groaned sadly, "So I fucked up your mission. Your illegal mission. And you lost your job. But we parted ways. I could have come after you and your agents but I left it be." Punk said, "We didn't have to cross paths like this again-"

"That's what you think." Carter said, "It was much more personal for me. I trusted you. I nurtured you back to health. I gave myself to you, to father you, to help you… and you threw it back in my face when you ran off and blew my cover." He spat.

"What do you want? An apology? I'll give you one if that's what it takes." Punk nodded.

"I don't want anything now." Carter said, "I just want you to suffer."

"Then make me suffer. But not April. Not my daughters." Punk shook his head.

"Your daughters have nothing to do with me. Bray is taking care of them." Carter shrugged, "And April, like I said, she's just as big a part of this as you are." He said, crouching down beside AJ, "Right, sweetheart?" He smiled as AJ groaned to herself in pain.

"Please don't do this." Punk shook his head.

"What's gonna happen is, you're gonna sit and watch as your girlfriend slowly dies in front of you. Then I'm gonna shoot your other knee. And then I'll untie you because… you won't be able to move, and I'm gonna put her dead body on top of you, and you're gonna lay there, and think about all the things you could have done to prevent all of this." Carter said, "How many times did I tell you in Mexico, that you being there was protecting your family?" He said, "This is exactly the scenario I was trying to protect you from."

"You're crazy." Punk spat.

"No, that's your girlfriend." Carter remarked as Punk growled at him, "So I'll give it another few hours before she's gone." He nodded to AJ who still had the strength to glare up at him, "And when she's dead in your arms, and you can't move anywhere, this place is going to burn to the ground, and no one is ever gonna know where you went." He smiled, "But don't worry, the girls won't burn down with the house, they'll be with Bray. Then again, I don't know which you'd prefer." Carter laughed as Punk glared up at him, "The clock is ticking." He smirked.

Meanwhile upstairs, Nova was sticking the pin into the lock, not really sure of what she was doing, mostly picking away and poking at the key hole until, like a miracle, she unhooked the lock and gasped at her own talent. She was so close to jumping up and down and squealing with excitement, but she knew she couldn't.

Instead, she slowly tiptoed over to Maggie's crib, stretching herself over with great difficult as she picked Maggie up, barely managing to do so but using all the strength she had.

"We have to be quiet, Maggie." Nova whispered softly, slowly leaving the room, not sure where to go next as she checked out her options. She had the stairs which was where Bray and Carter were, or she had the other bedrooms. But as soon as she spotted the window back in the bright pink room, she got an idea…

* * *

Back in the basement, AJ was fading out more and more whilst Punk just had his other knee cap shot at. Carter was in the midst of untying them, pulling Punk off the chair and onto the floor as he sat against a post. He immediately tried to get up, but having two shot knees made it literally impossible.

Carter then untied AJ, grabbing her roughly and throwing her over onto Punk as she rested in between his legs.

"At least you'll both die together. In each other's arms. Romantically." Carter crouched down as Punk shook his head.

"I hope you got whatever you needed to sleep out of this." Punk nodded.

"I did. And more." Carter smiled, "The fire will start in a few hours. Enjoy your last few moments together." He smiled, walking off and heading for the stairs.

"You'll get caught." Punk nodded, "You will." Punk said with assurance.

"Ok." Carter smiled, continuing for the stairs and walking up, locking the door behind him as Punk sighed to himself.

"I'm not… I'm… I'm not dying here." AJ shook her head, settled in between his legs, attempting to get up as she just winced in even more pain.

"Shh." Punk held her close, "Just stay still." Punk sighed, "We left the message for the guys. They'll get it."

"What if… What if they don't?" AJ looked up at him, "I'm not dying here."

"No one is dying." Punk shook his head.

"I want… I want to see the girls… grow up." AJ whispered, "There's… There's still-still so much I want to do." She gasped as Punk nodded, caressing her head which she rested on his shoulder.

"Shh… it's ok." Punk sighed, not knowing what else to say.

"It's not." AJ shook her head, "I-I want to get married." She nodded as Punk looked down at her, "I want… I want to get married and… and see the girls grow up. Maggie hasn't even… she's not even walked yet." AJ breathed heavily.

"We'll do it all. We'll see it all." Punk promised.

"I don't want to die, Phil." AJ cried. She didn't think she'd ever be scared of death, but she was. She was terrified. More so because she had to leave all that she loved behind, and thought about everything she should have done. Everything she wanted to do but was too afraid.

"No one is gonna die, baby." Punk nodded, kissing her head softly as AJ gasped for air, "It's gonna be fine." He promised, holding her tightly, giving her any comfort he could.

"I'm not dying here." AJ said, determined.

Meanwhile Carter got upstairs, feeling a chill coming from upstairs, "Bray!" He announced as Bray appeared from the living area, "Bit of a chill coming from up there." He said suspiciously as Bray looked up with confusion.

"Hmm." Bray hummed, climbing the stairs slowly as Carter just shook his head and walked on into the living room to get the gasoline ready for sunrise.

Bray got to the top of the stairs, walking slowly along the hall, unlocking the girls' room when he found it already unlocked with confusion, bursting it open with a temper as he looked over at the large window wide open, the curtains blowing back.

He immediately found the room empty, no Maggie in her crib and no Nova in her bed. He briskly walked over to the window and looked down, shaking his head with shock as he saw Nova's converse that she had been wearing down below, as well as Maggie's blanket.

"Surely not." Bray gasped in shock, running out of the bedroom and down the stairs whilst Nova stood behind the door in the next room with Maggie, shuffling her socked feet together quietly.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	83. Light It Up

**Light It Up**

* * *

Nova's little brain could only think so far ahead, and whilst she had successfully gotten Bray out the house, trying to search for them, thinking she had jumped out the window with Maggie, she quickly left from the next room and began to walk downstairs with Maggie, who was still sleeping miraculously.

She was starting to get tired from carrying Maggie, not used to holding her for so long. Although she was still just a baby, Nova was still a small kid, and she was heavy in her little arms, but she would never let go. That was for sure.

She didn't know where to go, but once she got downstairs she saw the door. Her mother and father always told her that if she was ever in danger, that she should always run and keep running and never look back until she reached somewhere or someone of safety, so that's what she immediately thought of, she figured she would run out the door and keep running, and never look back, even though the thought of running out into somewhere she didn't know was haunting her.

She was smart enough to know she couldn't figure it out all day, and so headed for the door, trying to open it up whilst struggling with Maggie in her arms.

"Going somewhere?" Carter appeared into the hall as Nova turned around to him.

"I just want to go home, please." Nova asked reasonably.

"I'm afraid I can't let you go home." Carter said as Nova sighed, tears welling in her eyes as she began to feel hopeless, just like her parent's downstairs who were slowly but surely dying on one another.

"But why?" Nova cried, "I need to go to my mommy and daddy. Back home." Nova nodded, "Me and Maggie shouldn't be here."

"You're never gonna go home, Nova." Carter explained, "Your mommy and daddy are gone. You're never going to see them again." He told her as Nova's lip quivered, "You're gonna go live with Bray. Isn't that exciting?"

"No." Nova whimpered, "No, I don't want to go. He's a bad man. He hurts me." Nova shook her head.

"Oh, he's a softie." Carter waved his hand and scoffed, "The shoes out the window… very good idea. I commend you for it." He said, "Was that your mother or father that told you that trick?" He wondered.

"Neither." Nova cried softly.

"So you're just smart then?" Carter smiled, "You'd make a great agent. Maybe one day, you'd come work for me." He humoured her.

"No!" Nova exclaimed, "No. You a bad man." She said.

"Hey, no… I'm the good guy." Carter smiled, "I promise you." He said, "Come in and take a seat whilst we wait on Bray coming back. He won't be too pleased to find you tricked him but… he'll just be happy to see you here." Carter said, placing his hand on Nova's back and guiding her into the living area as Nova sniffled sadly. She might have had a plan, but she was six years old, she could only carry so much until she wanted to just sit and cry, and ask for mommy and daddy.

"April, stay awake." Punk told AJ who was beginning to drift off every now and then, "Just stay awake for me, baby." Punk nodded, caressing her head as she sat between his legs on the floor.

"She's up there." AJ nodded, hearing Nova's footsteps, hearing her faint voice, "Nova." AJ gasped as Punk looked up at the ceiling. For their daughters to be so close, and to be so brutally injured that neither of them could face walking was complete torture, "I need to… I need to get up." AJ shook her head, she wasn't giving in, she wasn't going to let go.

"You're gonna hurt yourself." Punk said. The severity of her injury was too bad. She wouldn't make it to her feet, but she was trying of course, "April, please." Punk sighed, watching as AJ tried to get to her feet, crying in pain as she collapsed back against him.

"They're… They're up there." AJ cried, "He's… He's going to take them." She shook her head.

"Just focus on your breathing, ok?" Punk sighed, not knowing what to say or do. His knees were both in unbearable pain, but the most painful part was having to hold his girlfriend whilst her lung collapsed, and her body was starting to slowly shut down.

"I don't want to die." AJ cried into his neck as he nodded sadly.

"We're not gonna die." Punk nodded, "The… The bad guys never win, right?" Punk said to her as she looked up at him, "I promise you, we're gonna get out of here, and we're… we're gonna get married, and-and watch the girls grow up, and… and do all the things we still haven't done." He nodded as AJ whimpered, "I just need you to stay awake." He kissed her cheek softly as she cried.

They could both hear that Nova was upstairs, but thankfully there didn't seem to be any commotion going on. In fact, it seemed like there was a simple conversation going on.

"You see Nova, your father betrayed me." Carter spoke, crouched down in front of Nova who had Maggie sleeping on her lap, "I was never a good guy to begin with, let's face it, but I was never out to hurt anybody. I took your father into my safety. Perhaps I done it because it was my job to make sure he never stuck his nose anywhere it shouldn't have been, but I done it for his safety too." Carter said, rambling on as if Nova actually cared about the things he was saying.

"I don't care." Nova whispered to herself.

"And I fathered him. I treated him like my own son. I nurtured him back to good health. I protected him." Carter said, "And then he struck me in the head, tied me to a chair and ran off. It was like… like a dagger to the heart." He stood up straight, "I thought I still had a shot of finding him and resuming normality, but he got here and he got to his family, and my job was pretty much over. And maybe I was lying to him by telling him that we were capturing the bad guys instead of protecting them, but what he didn't know would never hurt him. I just needed him out the way and I never knew I'd end up caring for him." He said, practically speaking to himself.

"My daddy doesn't like people who hurt me or Maggie." Nova said.

"You're right." Carter smiled, "And you know why that is?" He crouched back down to her, "If anything were to happen to you or Maggie here? Your father would turn into exactly what he is. A monster." He nodded.

"Daddy's not a monster. Daddy is a good man and he protects everyone." Nova told him fiercely.

"But how long can he keep protecting people before he gets tired?" Carter asked, "If you both get hurt, your daddy will find his roots, and he'll turn into the man that he protects you from." He said as Nova looked at him, not really understanding what he was talking about, "His father is a notorious leader of human trafficking and drug smuggling." Carter said, "It's a bit strange how Philip always has a gigantic halo above his head, isn't it?" He said as Nova just sighed tiredly, "Maybe when Billy gets out, and he pays me again to keep his business private, maybe… I'll just sell you to him." He smirked, "I mean, why not turn it into a family business?" He smirked, "I'm sure your father would be elated when you told him about your new job." He said as Nova just glared up at him just as the front door opened.

"In here, Bray." Carter stood back up straight as Bray rushed into the living room, "She's a smart cookie." He nodded as Bray looked down at Nova and Maggie.

"You shall never escape me again." Bray warned, "When we go to your mother, there will be bars and locks and you will never get out." Bray hissed as Carter shook his head with confusion.

"You realise that Abigail won't get out, right?" Carter questioned. Sometimes he wondered how Bray had gotten so far with how clueless he really seemed to be.

"You told me you'd deliver her to me." Bray turned to him, "That she would be reunited with us. And we'd be a family."

"Well obviously not. She's locked up in a mental institute for criminally insane. Even I can't get her out of that." Carter shook his head, "You've got those girls all to yourself." He smiled as Bray looked down to the girls. At first he was mad, mad that his darling sister wasn't coming, mad that he'd been fooled so easily, and then he wondered what it would be like to be the one in control and not his sister, to take the girls as his own, and suddenly a smile appeared on his face.

"I shall take them but work on a plan to get my sister out." Bray nodded, "Soon."

"Well that's on you." Carter shrugged, "Wherever you're going, you need to think about going soon because this house burns down at sunrise." He warned.

Meanwhile Nova had begun to hear voices from the door across from her. She didn't know what was beyond the door, but to her it sounded very faintly like her parent's voices in the distance, and once she saw the keys hanging on Carter's pocket, she put one and one together.

* * *

"They're not answering their phones." Dean shook his head to Rocky, having been trying to contact AJ and Punk for a few hours now, having heard nothing from them which both worried them.

They were outside the abandoned house that belonged to Abigail, where Punk and AJ said they were last going to search, but they weren't here.

"Well they were here because the tyre tracks." Rocky pointed out onto the dirt as Dean looked down, suddenly the dirt catching his eye as he stepped back a little.

"Step back. Step back." Dean begged quickly as Rocky joined him in stepping back as they looked on at the message that had been written in the dirt.

"What does it say?" Rocky shook his head as they tried to make word of the words drawn out in the dirt with what appeared to be a stick of some sort.

"It… It looks like an address." Dean said, "They obviously wrote it in the ground incase their phones were hacked-"

"Bray isn't smart enough to hack a phone." Rocky said.

"Maybe it's not just Bray." Dean said, "We need to get to this address." He pointed to the ground, "Quickly."

* * *

Punk was suddenly beginning to panic as he knew that he was very much losing AJ right before his very eyes. She wasn't going to last the next hour. She would pass out for a few seconds and then jump awake in pain. He couldn't bear to see her like this. He hated that things couldn't be settled between two people. Why thugs always went for the innocent family baffled him, but he supposed it was working if Carter had aimed to hurt him emotionally.

"April, please stay awake." Punk begged, holding AJ's chin up softly, his hand under her chin as he looked down at her, "Please." Punk shook his head as AJ fluttered her eyes back open, "You-you gotta stay awake, baby." Punk nodded.

"I can't." AJ whispered to him, "It hurts."

"I know it does. I know." Punk nodded frantically, "I know it hurts but… I'm not losing you." He shook his head.

"It's ok." AJ nodded, clutching his hand tightly, "You'll be ok." She nodded with closed eyes April.

"Stop it." Punk warned her, "Open your eyes." He said. Maybe it was in his best interest to accept that they were both helpless and were both dying tonight, and maybe the best thing he could do was make sure that AJ went peacefully in his arms, feeling safe and secure, but neither could feel like that when they knew their daughters were in danger.

"I don't… I don't want to die." AJ shook her head, "But I know you'll be ok." She nodded, "And you'll find the girls." She said. She had to tell herself that so she could properly let go, "And I love you." She cried as Punk shook his head, a tear rolling down his cheek, "It's ok." She nodded in a whimper.

* * *

"It's almost time to burn this place down, so go on and get the girls away. This is where we part ways." Carter informed Bray who nodded.

"Have fun." Bray smirked to Carter who began pouring gasoline all over the house, "Get up." Bray turned to Nova, taking Maggie from her as Nova stood up and was pulled out of the room, looking at the basement door curiously as she was marched out of the house, "Now you're gonna sit in the car like a good little girl. Ok?" He said, opening up the back car door, "Get in." He ordered, taking Maggie around to the other side and placing her in the box beside Nova whilst Nova watched closely, looking around her in the car to try and find something. She'd wanted nothing more than to get out of the house, but now that she figured her parents were there, she wanted to be back there.

Bray got into the driver's seat in front of her as Nova noticed the screw sticking out of the box that Maggie had been placed in. She began picking at it whilst Bray checked the mirrors on the car. Just like her mother and father, she was a little bit crazy, and desperate times, called for desperate measures, and all six years of her unscrewed the screw from the box and drove it forward into Bray's neck. She'd hoped to weaken him so she could run off back to the house where he couldn't hurt Maggie in the car. She'd managed to stick the screw in so far that he began shedding a lot of blood and leaning over the wheel.

Nova ran out of the car, running back to the house in her socks whilst trying to open the basement door which was locked… but she knew where the keys were.

She crept into the living room, watching Carter from behind as he poured gasoline all over the floor, not that Nova knew much to what was happening. She knew she had to get the keys from him, and so quickly ran over, snatching the keys from his pocket and running to the basement door as Carter turned around.

"You little bitch!" Carter exclaimed as Punk listened from downstairs.

Carter ran after Nova, putting his arm around her to grab the keys back when Nova bit him hard on the arm, kicking back on his knee cap as he went down to the ground, it gave her enough time find the right key and open the door, but Carter got back to his feet and grabbed her back before she could run downstairs.

"Trust me, darlin. You don't want to go down there." Carter said as Nova got out of his grip, kicking him where it really hurt in the crotch as he went down.

Punk listened closely, looking at the stairs where all the noise was coming from, realising that his daughter was standing and Carter wasn't. He took his chance, grabbing the hidden handcuffs from his back pocket, hoping that his daughter would be smart enough to use them, and hoping that his aim would be good enough.

He threw the cuffs up the stairs with all the strength he had as Nova watched them appear at the top. She'd saw them sitting around the house, and she knew they always got put around the bad guys, so she grabbed them, stomping on Carter's crotch again as the man winced painfully. She wasn't taking it lightly.

She then turned him over onto his stomach, standing on the small of his back, stomping up an down on him a little before grabbing his hands together, placing the shiny rings around his hands and clicking them shut.

"You really are a little psycho like your mother, aren't you?" Carter gasped, never been stomped so hard on his crotch before as he struggled with his hands cuffed.

"Yes." Nova said, looking down at the basement stairs as she immediately ran down them and spotted her mother and father over by a pole. She grinned excitedly, running over to them as Punk gasped with relief, "Hey, I got the bad man down. Both the bad mans." She told her father excited to hear his praise. She didn't know they were hurt, and Punk didn't want her to know either.

"Ok now you need to run." Punk nodded, "Where is your sister?" Punk asked.

"She's in the box." Nova told him.

"You need to get her and run. Keep running. Don't look back." Punk nodded as Nova frowned.

"But you come too?" Nova asked, turning to AJ in between Punk's leg, "Is mommy sleeping?" She asked with confusion as Punk looked down at AJ in his arms and nodded.

"Yeah." Punk's voice broke, "Yeah, mommy's sleeping. I'll-I'll catch up. You need to run now. Ok? Can you do that for me?" Punk asked as Nova looked more closely to AJ.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Nova asked wearily.

"Please go." Punk nodded, "I'm asking you, Nova. Please." Punk begged. If there was one thing he could get out of this, was knowing his daughters got far away as possible. There was no way that Nova could carry him out. She might have been smart, but she was six. That was the reality of it.

"Is she hurt?" Nova asked sadly, looking at the blood all around the floor which was a mixture of AJ and Punk's.

"She's fine." Punk nodded, a lump in his throat, "Please, go. I'm telling you." He warned her a little as Nova refused to go without them, and folded her arms, "Nova, don't make me yell." Punk shook his head.

"But you can't stay here. You have to come too." Nova said.

"I'll catch up. Me and mommy. We'll be right behind you." He said as Nova just raised a brow. She knew when he was lying.

* * *

Meanwhile outside, Bray had collapsed outside the car, holding his neck as it bled out whilst cars began to pull up, cop cars. Dean and Rocky got out first whilst other cops stood back with their guns raised.

Dean walked round the car, looking on at Bray on the ground bleeding, "Check the car." Dean told Rocky who opened the back door, looking down at an untouched Maggie asleep in the little makeshift box.

"Maggie's here. She's good." Rocky nodded, lifting up Maggie into his arms, "Hi, baby girl." Rocky smiled with relief as another officer came forward to collect her to safety.

"Where are they?" Dean spat down at Bray, pointing his gun at him, "The other girl. AJ and Punk. Where are they?" Dean demanded to know.

"Dust." Bray chuckled to himself hysterically on the ground as Dean watched him.

"Ok. In the house." Dean waved for the shielded officers to come forward.

"You might not want to do that." Bray laughed to himself whilst holding his neck as Dean put his hand up to stop the officers with confusion.

Back in the house Carter was sitting up outside the basement door, having shuffled over to where his box of matches was, getting them behind him, even in his cuffed hands, and lighting a match.

"You might want to get comfortable down there!" Carter laughed down the basement stairs, flicking the match that he'd lit over onto the floor, "No one is leaving now." He smiled to himself as he watched the match light the floor up where he'd poured the gasoline, watching slowly but surely as the place became a huge flame in front of him.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	84. My Hero

**My Hero**

* * *

Punk watched as smoke began to travel down the basement stairs, holding AJ in his arms whilst Nova stood beside. He only wished Nova had ran like he told her to, but she was stubborn, and she very much didn't leave anyone behind.

"Ok. Take your sweater off and hold it against your mouth." Punk nodded to her. He was feeling himself fading out, having lost so much blood, keeping his fingers on AJ's slow, faint pulse to make sure he hadn't lost her completely.

"Why?" Nova asked.

"Just do it." Punk ordered, "If I tell you to do something, you need to do it, ok?" Punk said to her as Nova nodded, shimmying her sweater off and placing it over her mouth.

Punk began looking around the basement for perhaps a window, or an underground latch, but there was nothing. Their only way out was going up into the started fire, and Punk didn't know how he was going to do that with two shot kneecaps.

Punk knew his only option was to endure the pain and get to his feet, even though it would be unbearable. He had get AJ and Nova out of this.

"Ok." Punk nodded to himself, shuffling AJ over to the side a little as Nova watched. She didn't like how lifeless her mother looked, "Ok, go… go get me those roles of paper over there." Punk pointed as Nova looked over and ran over to what looked like some form of wrapping paper, grabbing it and running back to Punk as the smoke started to become more visible and heavier, coming down the stairs.

Punk didn't have anything else to wrap his knees in, and so ripped off pieces of the thick paper and wrapped it around his knees, tightening it with pain as he made sure they were supported. He had no idea how he was actually going to get to his feet and stand. He would have managed to hop if it was just one of his knees, but both had been shot and both were in a lot of pain.

"Ok… go place your hand on mommy's side." Punk told Nova. He had been sitting holding AJ's wound the entire time, applying pressure to it and wanted Nova to do the same since he had to focus on getting to his feet.

Nova walked over and crouched down to her mother, "What do I do?" Nova asked with fear.

"Take your hand and press hard where the blood is." Punk said, "Right there." He pointed as Nova nodded. He didn't ever want to have been in this situation with either of his daughters, but he was and he had to think about getting them out.

"Like this?" Nova said, holding her hand against AJ's wound.

"Yeah, that's it." Punk nodded, "Just keep doing that. Don't let go." Punk said as Nova nodded.

Punk then grabbed the pole from behind him, realising it was now or never, and that he had to get to his feet, even if it meant he shattered his legs. He took a tight hold of the pole behind him and began to shimmy himself up slowly but surely, screaming and yelling out in pain as Nova watched with fear. She'd never saw her father hurt, and it was scary, especially with how hurt he really seemed to be.

Punk had to pause, taking deep breaths and staying in a squat position, trying to take the weight off his legs but it was impossible. He'd never felt pain like it. He carried on, pulling himself up the pole, yelling curse word after curse word as he finally got on his feet, his legs wobbling and shaking as he cried out to himself. Now he had no idea how he was going to carry AJ and Nova out of here, when he could barely stand steady on his legs.

* * *

Meanwhile outside, Dean had the police officers surrounding the house so no one got in or out without him seeing, he was sending in an attack team, and was also going into the burning house himself, if it meant his friends lives were on the line. The fire brigade had also been contacted and was on their way. Maggie was safe. Bray was taken in and suddenly Carter came running out of the house, thrilled with his plan being successful until he looked on at the dozens of cops scattered around with their guns pointing at him.

"Get him before I shoot." Dean warned once seeing it was Carter and recognising his face.

Dean then walked over to the attack team and got ready to go into the house whilst five or six officers surrounded Carter and arrested him… not needing the handcuffs as Nova already had that part covered.

Dean lead the attack team down the basement stairs. It was always the basement. He kept his arm over his mouth to cover him from the smoke, as he didn't have the proper gear on him. Normally it would have been regarded as 'stupid' for an officer to do what he was doing, but he was going to do anything he could to help Punk and AJ and Nova.

The got downstairs and Dean saw Punk standing with AJ over his shoulder and Nova hiding behind him with fear. Punk could have cried out in relief when he saw Dean's face. He could have kissed him. Because he knew that there was no way he could make it up the stairs. He'd made just a few steps but the pain was inhumane, and all the while carrying AJ and keeping Nova beside him wasn't easy either.

"Ok. Go-Go to Dean." Punk told Nova, not having time to waste and nudging her forward as Nova ran to her uncle who lifted her up.

"Keep your sweater over your mouth, ok?" Dean told her as Nova nodded. Dean passed her over to one of the other officers who shielded her and headed upstairs, through the fire and out to safety.

"She needs hospital. Right now." Punk told Dean who walked over to him, taking AJ from him who Dean could see was passed out and perhaps on a very thin line, "She's not gonna make it." Punk gasped, holding onto the side wall to keep him steady as the pains in his legs became torture.

"We'll get her help, don't worry." Dean promised, passing AJ to another officer in the attack team who got her upstairs and out into safety, "Ok, you next." Dean said, wrapping his arm around Punk as Punk clung onto him, "Before this whole place falls down." He said as another officer went to the opposite side of Punk, helping him up the stairs and out of the burning house.

Punk had never felt more relieved to be out of a house, and to have the support of the station, but his eyes fell over to AJ who was carried away to the waiting ambulance and he suddenly felt ill. She'd lasted way longer than she should have, and he really wasn't sure she would make it, and that was a terrifying thought. An unbearable thought.

"We need to get you to the hospital." Dean patted Punk with relief, giving him a tight squeeze of friendship.

"I'm going-I'm… AJ." Punk pointed, "I'm going with her." He said, his blood loss beginning to catch up with him as he looked over at an EMT placing an oxygen mask over Nova who was sitting up on the trunk of a car, "N-Nova." He watched fearfully, "Where is… Maggie? Maggie?" Punk turned to Dean.

"She's with Chrissy. She's safe." Dean said, "You're going to hospital, ok? That's where you're going." He said as he felt Punk's body go limp against his, losing consciousness from his blood loss, collapsing down as Dean called over for the EMTs, whilst the first ambulance had already sped away with AJ in it.

* * *

Punk woke up to the sound of bleeping monitors, gasping awake as he looked around the hospital room, feeling both his knee's bandages up, looking around for a clock as he realised he had been out of it for a few hours, as it was approaching night time of the next night.

He groaned to himself a little, reaching for the cup of water which had been poured beside him, taking a sip as he watched Dean walk into the room slowly.

"Hey." Dean smiled softly as he walked into the room as Punk sat the cup of water down, "How are the legs?"

"Fucked." Punk replied with a hoarse throat, "AJ? Where is she? Is she… Is she ok?" He asked. It was all he cared about.

Dean looked down for a second, clasping his hands together in front of him and looking across to Punk who couldn't believe the look on his face, "I uh… I don't know how to tell you this." Dean shook his head, "She… She didn't make it." He said as Punk stared at him blankly, "She… She didn't make it to the hospital." Dean shook his head as Punk just looked at him like he was a foreign object. He'd never felt words so numb. Suddenly life had no meaning. Suddenly he had no life.

"She… She's gone?" Punk asked.

"I'm… I'm so sorry, man." Dean choked, placing his hand over his mouth as Punk shook his head.

"No." Punk shook his head, " _No… No… no_ -"

"Phil!" Dean exclaimed, placing his hand on Punk's arm as Punk woke up in the hospital bed, for real, looking over at Dean sitting on the arm chair beside him, "Hey, man. You ok?" Dean asked worriedly, "You were shaking." He said as Punk gasped for air, looking around him.

"AJ?" Punk said, "Is she alive?" Punk demanded to know.

"Yeah." Dean nodded as Punk sighed with relief. So much relief, "She's not in good shape. But she's alive." Dean said as Punk nodded.

"And… And the girls? Are they ok?" Punk asked desperately.

"Nova is being looked at. She had a little trouble breathing. Nothing serious but I wanted her looked at." Dean said, "Smoke must have gotten to her." He said, "Maggie is.. perfect." Dean smiled as Punk nodded.

"What about… What about Bray? Carter?" Punk shook his head. He felt like he hadn't done anything to protect his family, but how could he have with two shot knee caps?

"Taken in. They'll be locked up with the key thrown away this time. Don't worry about that." Dean promised.

"He just done it for revenge. Because I blew his cover. Because I blew his mission." Punk shook his head, "And Bray obviously still had his sights on the girls. They made the perfect duo." Punk shook his head.

"It's over now." Dean nodded, "You done your part. Nova… stuck a screw in Bray's neck and… handcuffed Carter." Dean told him with surprise as Punk smiled softly to himself, "I think the academy will accept her in a few months. What do you think?" Dean smiled as Punk laughed to himself.

"Maybe." Punk nodded with a smile, "What's going on with AJ? Has she had surgery? Is she ok?" Punk longed to know, "I thought… I thought she was going to die in my arms." He shook his head, rolling it back onto the pillow tiredly.

"She just got out of surgery an hour ago. She's resting. Having a little trouble breathing because of the collapsed lung but… she's hanging on. Doctor reckons she'll wake in a few hours. I'll stay around to… let you know how she is." Dean said, "You've not to get out of bed." He warned as Punk just rolled his eyes, "I mean it. Rest. You're all in safe hands now." He nodded.

"You could have died. Going into the fire like that." Punk said.

"I wasn't going to do nothing." Dean said as Punk smiled, "You get some rest. I'm gonna go let everyone know how you're doing. Including your dad. He got out of bed and tried to wrestle the hospital security when he heard what was going on." He said as Punk smiled to himself.

"Too many Brooks in this hospital to handle." Punk said as Dean smiled, "Just… Keep me updated on AJ and Nova, yeah? Make sure they know I'm here." He said as Dean nodded.

"I will, man." Dean said, patting Punk's leg under the cover as Punk groaned, "Oh, sorry." Dean cringed as Punk glared at him, "My bad." He laughed as Punk just shook his head with a smile.

* * *

Punk wound up falling back asleep. He had woken up purely on the basis of his nightmare, and wanting to know if AJ and Nova were ok. So far, seemed so good, and his own pain and exhaustion sent him back off to sleep into the rest of the next night, until he woke up when he heard his room door open, seeing Dean standing, and watching a little head poke her way out in front.

"Someone wanted to see you." Dean said as Punk watched Nova run over to his bed with a smile.

"Daddy." Nova smiled happily, climbing up onto the bed and wrapping her little arms around his neck tightly. She desperately wanted to see her mother and father, but Dean had said her mother was too tired, and so he would take her to her father.

"Hi, baby." Punk smiled, squeezing Nova as tight as he could, never wanting to let go.

"Too tight, daddy." Nova giggled as Punk loosened his grip as she slid down the bed beside him into his torso, "Dean says mommy is too tired to see me just now but… I'll see her soon." He said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, she's just getting some rest just now." Punk nodded, looking up at Dean who nodded to him and left the room. He knew the nod was a signal that AJ was still doing good, but clearly hadn't woken up yet, "How are you? Did you see a doctor?" He asked.

"Yeah, the nice doctor told me I was so brave." Nova looked up at her father, "And he said I'm a good big sister."

"You're the best." Punk nodded, "You were so brave, and smart, Nova." Punk nodded.

"David said that we shouldn't be frightened of things we've already saw. And I've already saw the bad man, and he'd already hurted me so I didn't get frightened." Nova explained, "Maybe a little but only a little." She emphasised.

"Well you were so brave, baby. Much braver than me." Punk nodded.

"Mhm." Nova smiled, "I got the other bad man down. Like Danny showed me. I know you and mommy say never hit or kick people but he was a bad man and he shouldn't have been a bad man." Nova shook her head.

"You saved the day, Nova." Punk nodded as Nova smiled, feeling her father hug her tightly.

"I wanna see mommy." Nova said truthfully.

"You'll see her soon." Punk nodded, "We'll see her soon." Punk nodded, only hoping and praying to any God real or fake who would listen. To him, it wasn't about having saved his family, because it appeared that his family were all safe… it was about locking those evil monsters up. An evil monster with evil intentions, and an evil monster who thought his actions could be justified.

The most important thing was family, and so far, things were looking good, and safe. That was all Punk wanted. For this to be all over, and for his girls to be safe.

"You know you're my hero?" Punk looked down to Nova who cuddled into him and smiled.

"Mommy's my hero." Nova smiled to herself, "And you." She said quickly with a grin as he smiled.

"Mommy's my hero too." Punk nodded, "I love you." He said, kissing her head softly. He'd never been so thankful for his life and his family. To be in a helpless position where he almost lost them. All of them, he was so relieved to have them in safe hands.

"I love you too, daddy." Nova said, curling into her father tightly for comfort. Unlike last time, she wasn't traumatised, she felt empowered, she felt strong, and that was because her mother and father had helped her with her therapy, and with Danny. They hadn't neglected her into feeling weak and vulnerable to any sort of danger. They'd taught her how to embrace that danger, and fight it off. They were a good mommy and daddy.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	85. About Time

**About Time**

* * *

"Mr Brooks, what are you doing?" A nurse arched an angry brow, walking into Punk's hospital room where Punk was trying to get out of bed, "You were shot in both your knee caps. If you want to go anywhere, you use the wheelchair."

"I can walk." Punk insisted, standing up and then immediately having to stand back down due to the pain, watching the nurse make a 'I told you so' face as he just scoffed and waved his hand.

"What do you know." He teased, waving his hand as the nurse smiled and nodded.

"Nothing, apparently." The nurse said, "Where is it you're wanting to go?" She asked him.

"To see my girlfriend. I was told she's just woke up. I wanna be there." Punk said as the nurse nodded.

AJ had finally woken up after a few impatient hours from Punk. Nova and Maggie had gone home with Dean, and Eve had finally gotten home under Seth's supervision due to her bad concussion she'd suffered.

"Well then you'll need to take the wheelchair." The nurse told him, "Maybe the crutches in a few days, but you should be resting now." She said as Punk just groaned to himself. He was stubborn and any help people tried to give him, he didn't often like, it was just in his nature.

"Ok." Punk nodded as the nurse pushed the wheelchair over and helped him on, "I can wheel it myself." He told her.

"You're a stubborn man, Mr Brooks." The nurse shook her head, opening up the room door for him as he wheeled his way out of the room and headed for AJ's down the corridor.

He found the room where AJ was in, smacking himself against the door suddenly as he wasn't sure how to stop himself, trying his best to open up the door handle, forcing himself through the room door as AJ slowly lifted her head at all the noise he was making.

"Is it forty years later?" AJ grumbled as she watched Punk edge his way into the room on the wheelchair. Despite her pain, exhaustion and grogginess, she still found the light to joke with him, and he couldn't help smile at seeing her awake.

"Are you implying that in forty years I'm going to be in a wheelchair?" Punk asked her, wheeling himself further into the room as AJ watched him.

"Hope not." She grumbled, "With all that… all that noise." She said as he smiled. Her room was dim and she was very much still coming around from her surgery, but her doctor was pleased with how it had gone, and pleased with how much she was already recovering.

"How you feeling?" Punk asked her, taking her hand in his, resting it on the bed as he sat beside her bedside as she nodded.

"I'm ok." AJ croaked, "I-I wanted to know about the girls. All the doctor told me was…. Was that they were safe." AJ said, "Are they?" She asked.

"Yeah, they're with Dean right now." Punk smiled to her, "They're safe, baby. We all are." Punk nodded as she smiled, resting her head back on her pillow and smiling softly, "I thought I was gonna lose you." He shook his head as she turned back to him, "I thought you were already gone back at the house." He said.

"My lungs give in to nobody." AJ nodded as he smiled, "You know that." She whispered.

"I do." Punk smiled. He wasn't only glad to see her awake, but glad to see her in good spirits. He was terrified that all the good rehab they had made together as a family would have been ruined because of this, but Nova and AJ were showing him strength like he'd never saw before, "So Nova… perhaps a little bit crazy." He nodded as AJ looked at him, "She stuck a screw in Bray's neck. Then handcuffed Carter." He said as AJ raised her eyebrows and then smiled.

"My girl." AJ smiled with satisfaction, "Maybe she'll be a cop after all." She smiled as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, she'd make a pretty damn good one." Punk nodded, "Her and Maggie are as good as new so… don't worry about them. They're ok." He promised her as she smiled.

"And you? Your poor knees." She frowned sadly as he shrugged.

"I'll live." Punk waved his hand, "You'll just have to go on top for the time being." He shrugged teasingly as AJ nodded.

"I'll see what I can do." AJ nodded, moving a little in bed as she winced slightly.

"Sore?" Punk sighed.

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "Well it's another scar to add on the body." She said in a grumble. Punk could see she was still very out of it and tired, but boy was he so glad to see her ok, and on the road to a recovery, "So… no one got hurt?" AJ nodded.

"We did." Punk nodded.

"Nothing new there." AJ said, "No one else?"

"No." Punk said, "Everyone is ok. Bray and Carter have been taken in. They're well and truly done for. We won't have any shit to deal with this time." He promised.

"I suppose we… we should have seen it coming." AJ shrugged.

"Bray, maybe. Carter? I don't think so. He didn't have to cross paths with us. He just wanted revenge for blowing his mission." Punk said, "Whatever. They're worthless. Bray will go to prison a child kidnapper and Carter will have to face Billy and the rest of the men he let down." Punk said, "I'd say they're getting their punishment good this time." Punk nodded.

"I don't feel as defeated as the last time." AJ admitted. She remembered how worthless she felt when Bray and Abigail had attacked their family in the way that they did. She remembered feeling so down and lost, not knowing where to turn, but somehow, she still felt strong, despite being in a hospital bed.

"Last time was different." Punk said, "It was a random attack. It was our baby being ripped from you. Literally. It was you and your mental health. It was different." He nodded, "We won. They didn't. That will always be the case."

"I wanna go somewhere sunny." AJ whispered dreamily as Punk smiled.

"Would be nice, huh?" Punk smiled.

"Yeah." AJ smiled, trying to imagine it, "And I meant what I said." She turned to him as he looked across at her.

"What?" Punk shook his head.

"Will you marry me?" AJ asked him softly, resting the side of her head on her pillow as he looked across at her with a smile.

"The least you could do is get down on one knee." Punk teased as she smiled.

"Will you?" AJ smiled, "Please."

"Of course I will." Punk nodded, squeezing her hand tightly, leaning forward and pressing his lips against hers softly as she kissed back.

In that basement, lying in his arms, all she thought about was how stupid she had been to be too scared of doing all the things she wanted to do, because life was so precious, and there was only one shot at it, and she wasn't going to spend it being scared. She wanted to marry him. And she wasn't afraid.

* * *

Punk got told to go back to his own room after already spending way too much time with AJ. Not that they were being separated but AJ needed her rest, and so did he. Knowing each other were ok, as well as the girls, it was enough to content them, and AJ figured now was the time to improve her stubbornness, and let the nurses and doctors take care of her.

"When can I get out of here?" Punk asked after getting back into his bed whilst the nurse gave him his meds for the night.

"Few days for you I'd say, but only if you're taking care of your knees and making sure you are resting, if not you'll end up with permanent damage." She warned him, "You'll probably get physio in a few weeks once the wounds have healed."

"But I get out in a few days?" Punk asked eagerly.

"That's the aim. Yes." The nurse smiled, "Your girlfriend will be in for longer however, due to the surgery and the severity of her injury."

"Angela, are you saying I'm less important?" Punk teased as the nurse, Angela smiled.

"No, not at all, Mr Brooks." Angela smiled, "Just the differences in your injuries." She said professionally as Punk nodded.

"When do you reckon April will get out?" Punk asked.

"Depends really. She seems to be doing great just now but… she's still very weak. The amount of blood loss combined with her collapsed lung is something that is going to take massive toll of her body." She said, "Just take one day at a time." She nodded, "There's no place better for her to make her recovery." She assured him, "I'll be round later with tea or coffee before bed." She told him.

"Ok." Punk nodded to her as she left the room where he sat up on the bed. Seeing AJ had put him in a better mood, particularly seeing how good she seemed, not to mention she just asked him to marry her which was exciting. He just wished they could have celebrated properly.

* * *

"Comfy?" Dean asked as he helped Nova into bed in the spare bedroom of his house. Nova was happily in the double bed in the spare room whilst Maggie slept in the little travel crib that Dean had picked up from a store on the way home. Since Seth was taking care of Eve and Tyler, he felt it was his duty to look after the girls.

"Real comfy." Nova smiled, patting her hands down beside her on the puffy covers, "Do you live here alone, Dean?" Nova asked.

"Yeah, well no… kind of." Dean nodded whilst placing Maggie down in the crib.

"Which is it?" Nova raised a brow.

"Yeah, but sometimes Renee comes over." Dean nodded.

"Is she your girly friend?" Nova grinned as Dean looked over at her.

"Uh… yeah." Dean nodded.

"Why isn't she here just now?" Nova smiled curiously.

"Well she's working late tonight. That's why." Dean said, "Now can I get you anything else? You want the TV on?" He asked.

"Can you stay and talk to me." Nova patted the bed beside her as Dean nodded.

"Very well." Dean nodded, climbing onto the bed beside Nova on his stomach as she watched him and sat up.

"Everyone says I've been brave." Nova smiled.

"You have." Dean said, "Really brave. Braver than I could ever be." Dean nodded.

"I just wanted to make sure Maggie was ok because I didn't want her to get hurt and David my therapy man says that we should use being frightened as a… uh… a positive." She remembered, "A good thing." She nodded.

"Well you sure did that." Dean smiled, "Your mom and dad are so proud of you. You were the hero." Dean said.

"I was?" Nova smiled as Dean nodded.

"Yeah." Dean nodded, "And you're not… you're not frightened, are you?"

"Maybe a little." Nova nodded, "But not like last time. It's not as scary." She said. She felt like, because she had faced her fears, literally head on with Bray, she couldn't be scared of him anymore. But of course all of the commotion had shaken her up just a little. She didn't normally stick screws in people's necks, "I'm not in trouble, am I? For hurting anyone?"

"Of course you're not." Dean shook his head, "Hey, you done the right thing. That man was bad, and you made sure he didn't hurt you or Maggie. You done the right thing. You done a brave thing." Dean nodded as Nova smiled to herself, "And you're mommy and daddy are super proud of you."

"I haven't saw mommy yet." Nova huffed a little, "Is she ok?" She wondered.

"She is." Dean nodded, "She's a little hurt. But she's ok. And maybe you'll see her tomorrow." Dean said as Nova smiled.

"I can't wait to see her." Nova smiled to herself, "And daddy." She nodded as Dean smiled.

* * *

Renee got home later that night. After hearing about everything that had happened, she tried to cut from work early, but as a very busy lawyer, she just couldn't, and came home at her normal time of 10pm, walking into Dean's house with the key he'd gotten cut for her.

She didn't bother shouting for him, as she knew the girls were staying with them tonight, and possibly for the next few nights until Punk got home first, even at that, it might have been better for the girls to stay with them since Punk wasn't going to be doing much besides resting.

She kicked off her heels at the bottom of the stairs, taking off her coat and hanging it on the banister, dumping her purse down on the bottom step as she began climbing the stairs tiredly. She went to Dean's bedroom first, and panicked a little when she didn't see him there, but when she headed into the spare room, she smiled at what she saw.

Dean had fallen asleep on the bed beside Nova who was also asleep, along with Maggie in her crib. They were all out cold, and a part of her was glad because of the chaotic hours they'd had, especially the girls.

She smiled to herself as she noticed Nova's hand on Dean's head, as if she had been playing with his curls. She could only envision their future like this, and get excited about when the time came for them to settle down with their own family.

She took out a blanket from under the bed and shook it out on Dean who was on top of the covers instead of under like Nova, not wanting him to get cold, giving him a soft kiss on his cheek before leaving the calm and peaceful room with a smile.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	86. Nightmare

**Nightmare**

* * *

" _Phil! Get the door." AJ called from upstairs where Punk was downstairs with Seth, Dean and Rocky. They were having some beers whilst Punk obviously wasn't, and Punk had been deliberately ignoring the door._

" _Ok!" Punk shouted up lovingly as he groaned to his friends who chuckled, walking down the hallway and to the front door which he swung open, looking on at the young boy standing nervously._

" _Hi Mr Brooks I'm here for your daughter." The boy mumbled quickly as Punk looked into his soul._

" _Speak up." Punk said, "What?" He leaned forward._

" _I'm-I'm here for your daughter." The boy said._

" _What's your name?" Punk asked._

" _Jack." Jack nodded nervously, placing his hands in his pockets._

" _I was almost called Jack." Punk smiled to him as Jack nodded, "Phil is better a name. Jack got second best." Punks smile dramatically faded as Jack just looked across at him awkwardly, "What age are you?"_

" _Uh… sixteen." Jack said as Punk scoffed._

" _And I'm God." Punk nodded, "You are definitely not sixteen, my friend." Punk looked at the boy who had to at least been eighteen. At least._

" _I'm… I'm sixteen, sir-"_

" _Hey, boys!" Punk yelled back to the kitchen, "Come here a second." He said as Jack scratched the back of his neck as he watched an additional three cops join Punk in the doorway, "What age is this kid?" He asked them all as they gathered around the door._

" _Motherfucker you look thirty." Dean shook his head._

" _Definitely over eighteen." Seth nodded._

" _Twenty-four?" Rocky estimated as Punk folded his arms and looked at the boy._

" _Nova is fifteen. You're… sixteen." Punk said, using inverted commas with his fingers when he said the word sixteen, "I'm not sure I like the age gap." He admitted._

" _It's… It's just a few months." Jack shook his head._

" _His name is Jack." Punk told the rest of them._

" _Jack?" Dean nodded, "It's always a Jack." He said as Punk agreed._

" _Where are you taking Nova?" Seth asked._

" _We're uh… we're seeing a movie." Jack gulped as he looked at all four of them staring at him intently, "And then probably a burger."_

" _A burger? Why not a steak?" Punk asked._

" _I-I don't have money for steak." Jack shook his head as Punk just arched a brow._

" _Have you got protection?" Punk asked._

" _Uh… I-"_

" _Trick question." Punk exclaimed, "Why is it a trick question, Jack?" Punk asked._

" _Uh… because I'm… we're not… nothing is gonna happen." Jack said._

" _Correct." Punk nodded, "That little voice in your head, in the cinema, telling you to put your arm around her… don't." Punk warned._

" _Flick that voice away." Dean nodded._

" _She comes home at 10pm." Punk ordered._

" _What happens after 10?" Seth played along as he turned to Punk._

" _If she's not in the house by 10, and I'm talking one-minute past ten, I'll be out on your ass like a hawk. Do you hear?" Punk nodded as Jack gulped._

" _She'll be back for 10." Jack nodded._

" _Are you paying?" Rocky asked._

" _Uh… yeah. Yeah I am." Jack nodded._

" _Why?" Dean shook his head._

" _Do you think my daughter can't afford her own ticket and food?" Punk wondered, "Are you sexist, Jack?"_

" _No, it's a date." Jack shook his head as Punk just hmm'd._

" _You have a car?" Punk asked._

" _Yeah." Jack nodded._

" _You wear your seatbelt?" Punk asked as Jack nodded, "You don't put your foot on the gas until seat belts are on, mirrors are checked, indicators are on." Punk said._

" _I-I know how to drive, sir." Jack said._

" _How do you know Nova?" Dean questioned taking a swig of his beer._

" _She's in my Spanish class." Jack said, "I don't know why she takes Spanish when she… she can speak it already. She's good at it." He smiled, not knowing what to say or how to act._

" _Well she is half Puerto Rican." Punk said._

" _Not from you I take it." Jack smiled, trying to make a joke as Punk looked at him blankly._

" _Not from me." Punk nodded, "Is that your type? Do you have a type, Jack?" Punk said._

" _Uh… no… I don't." Jack shook his head._

" _Take what you get?" Seth asked as Jack just gulped._

" _Uh… is Nova ready?" Jack asked, "We-We might miss the movie."_

" _Don't rush her." Punk warned._

" _Never rush a woman." Dean shook his head to Jack whilst placing his arm on Punk's shoulder._

" _Would you four behave?" AJ shook her head as she rushed down the stairs to see the four of them crowded round the poor, frightened boy, "He's not a circus animal." She said as Punk raised a brow, "Jack, right?" AJ smiled to the boy who nodded, "Ignore Nova's father, he's not good with strangers." She waved her hand at Punk who just made a face, "Nova is just coming." She smiled to him whilst shoo'ing away the rest of the guys with her hand, allowing Punk to stand with her however._

" _Do you take drugs?" Punk blurted out._

" _Phil." AJ gasped, turning to him as Punk just shrugged._

" _No. I don't." Jack said._

" _You'd say that anyway." Punk just waved his hand as Nova rushed down the stairs, desperate to quickly whizz by her parents and out of the door._

" _Bye." Nova said quickly, smiling at Jack as she headed out the door where Punk pulled her back a little._

" _Do you have your pepper spray?" Punk asked her._

" _Dad." Nova shook her head, turning to her mother with a 'why does he act this way' face._

" _Just go." AJ smiled nudging Nova forward as Punk had a hard time watching, "Have fun." She nodded as Nova smiled, walking out of the door and shutting the door over behind her._

" _My dad didn't embarrass you, did he?" Nova immediately asked whilst fixing her leather jacket, flicking her dark hair out of it as they walked to Jack's car._

" _Uh no… he didn't really say much." Jack lied as Nova smiled and nodded._

" _I don't like him." Punk shook his head, walking back into the kitchen area with AJ to meet the rest of the guys._

" _He's just a kid, stop seeing so strange." AJ shook her head._

" _He was definitely not a kid." Punk said, "Did he look like a kid to you?" He asked her._

" _So kids nowadays look a lot more mature than their age." AJ shrugged._

" _He's definitely thirty." Dean nodded, cracking open another beer._

" _He is not thirty." AJ scoffed, "He seemed like a nice boy."_

" _Yeah, seemed." Punk said, "You know how many people we handcuff on a daily basis who 'seem' nice to everyone?" Punk asked her as she rolled her eyes._

" _Oh, Phil." AJ shook her head, "You're gonna give yourself a nosebleed." She said, "I hope you four didn't scar the poor boy. I think Nova likes him."_

" _I just said hi." Punk mumbled._

" _I'm going to pick Maggie up from her friend's house. Can you boys keep it clean in here?" She asked._

" _Yes boss." Rocky nodded along with the rest of them as she eventually left._

" _He was trouble that kid. I smelt it." Punk nodded, "I don't like him."_

" _I doubt you're gonna like anyone who comes to take Nova out." Seth laughed._

" _She told me she was just gonna have dogs." Punk shook his head sadly._

" _Yeah, when she was like five." Dean laughed, "Those days are over, buddy."_

* * *

Punk woke up the next morning to cool hands pressed on his face, squishing his cheeks around followed by laughter as he opened his eyes and saw Nova. He'd never been so glad to see her so small and innocent and dating-free, although he had got a kick out of the dream, or perhaps nightmare.

"Uh… good morning?" Punk chuckled as he saw Dean over in the corner holding Maggie, "Hey." He smiled.

"Nova really wanted to come see you and AJ." Dean said, "And I figured I'd bring Mags too." He turned to Maggie who was perched on his side and looking around the room.

"I had a sleepover at Uncle Dean's house." Nova told her father, "I like it there. There's a comfy bed." She smiled.

"Yeah?" Punk smiled, "So you slept good?" He asked her, tucking her hair behind her ear as Nova nodded.

"Yeah. I slept all the way through. I was real tired, daddy." She admitted.

"I bet." Punk nodded, "I was too."

"I couldn't wait to see you and mommy." Nova smiled, "Can we go see mommy? Can we?" She asked excitedly as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, she should be waking up." Punk nodded.

"I'll let you go take her to AJ and I'll go… visit your dad or something with Maggie." Dean insisted, "I'll bring her up later." He said, wanting to give Punk his own space to take Nova to see AJ. He didn't know what kind of conditions AJ was in.

"Ok. Thanks, man." Punk smiled to Dean, still trying to wake up properly.

* * *

Dean left the room to go stroll around with Maggie, whilst Punk waited on his medication for the morning, before getting into the wheelchair to take Nova to see AJ.

"Why are you in that chair?" Nova watched with a funny face as her father wheeled along the corridor.

"Because I've hurt my knees, and I need to use this for a few days, so they can get rest." Punk said.

"Did the bad mans hurt them?" Nova wondered.

"Yeah. A little." Punk nodded, "But I'm ok. We're all ok." He nodded, "Did you really sleep good?" He asked her.

"Really, daddy." Nova nodded, "I had a nice sleep, and we had pancakes for breakfast too. Renee made them."

"Were they better than mine?" Punk wondered.

"Maybe just a little." Nova nodded as Punk gasped, eventually getting to AJ's room.

"Ok. Here we are." Punk nodded to the room door as Nova walked ahead first, opening up the door and walking in as Punk wheeled in after her.

He could see AJ was bright and awake watching TV, and Nova excitedly ran over to AJ's bedside, not jumping on her incase she hurt her, waiting for the permission.

"Mommy, you're awake." Nova smiled excitedly, jumping and down by AJ's bedside as Punk smiled.

"Hi, baby." AJ smiled, matching Nova's level of excitement. She was so relieved to see her daughter. It was a breath of fresh air, and to know her daughters were both safe was the greatest feeling in the world, "Come up on this side." AJ patted around the bed to her other side, her good side as Nova rushed around.

"Still be careful." Punk told Nova who nodded, climbing up onto the bed carefully and giving AJ a soft hug.

"Oh, baby. I missed you lots." AJ sighed, so relaxed with feeling her daughter safely in her arms, "You were so brave, baby girl." AJ smiled, looking on at Nova, "So brave and strong." She nodded as Nova smiled with pride.

"I didn't even cry, mommy." Nova smiled.

"You're a star." AJ smiled, "And the hero." She nodded as Nova smiled to herself just as Dean appeared with Maggie.

AJ was just as relieved to see their darling baby, who seemed so perfectly unbothered and unharmed by everything going on.

"Baby delivery." Dean said, "She's a nosey little thing, isn't she?" He laughed a little, passing her down to Punk who held her in his arms.

"Yeah, she likes to see everything around her." Punk smiled whilst Nova curled into AJ's good side, still being very gentle and careful with her. Punk smiled with his family, so grateful to have them all safe and together. He now only hoped his girls would stay young forever.

* * *

 **A/N: A little fun filler chapter. Still lots to come. Thanks for the reviews and support. Continue to let me know what you think!**


	87. Calm After The Storm

**Calm After The Storm**

* * *

"How long have you been on the crutches?" Seth asked a few days later, visiting Punk in hospital where Punk was crutching around the bed as part of his daily exercise. He was beginning to get more steady on his feet, and once ditching the wheelchair, he was glad to be using the crutches. He was still in a lot of pain, and had trouble sleeping, and bending his knees, but with physio and feeling mentally better, he was starting to progress.

"Just yesterday I got given the go ahead to use them." Punk said, crutching himself over and sitting down on the edge of the bed whilst Seth sat down on the armchair, "How are things? How is Eve?"

"She's still a little shaken up." Seth admitted, "And she thinks you and AJ are gonna hate her."

"Why?" Punk shook his head.

"Because she was watching the girls when they were taken." Seth said.

"She was knocked out. We'd never be mad with her. It's no one's fault. This attack was planned and we weren't prepared. Not that we should have ever had to prepare for it anyway." Punk shook his head as Seth nodded, "Tell her not to worry. It's over now. The girls are fine." He said as Seth nodded.

"Speaking of? Where have they been? I know your dad is still in hospital, obviously you and AJ are-"

"They're with Dean." Punk said, "Yeah, Nova's been having a great time staying with him." He laughed a little, "I didn't even have to ask, he just sort of… took it upon himself to take the girls to his." He said, "He took Nova to the movies last night and Renee stayed home with Maggie." Punk said.

"Maybe it'll make him want one of his own." Seth smiled.

"Nova and Maggie are enough to scare anyone out of having kids." Punk scoffed as Seth smiled, "It's good, not having to worry about where the girls are and if they're ok." He said, "I know it's taken a huge weight off of AJ's shoulders."

"How is AJ?" Seth asked, "I'm gonna go see her next, if I'm allowed to."

"I swear she's like a machine." Punk said, "I told her doctor the amount of time she lasted with her wound and he said she should have been dead an hour before she even got to the hospital." Punk shook his head, "She's doing good. It's gonna take time, obviously it's not a scratch but she's sitting up a little easier now. She's been going to the toilet on her own, well… with help, but you know what I mean." Punk nodded, "Doc says the best thing for her is to take one day at a time and… she's actually listening for once. She's not being stubborn." He said as Seth gasped.

"Someone must have taken over her body." Seth teased as Punk nodded, "I'm just glad you're both alright. I guess in the end, everyone always gets what they deserve. That's living proof."

"What are you trying to say I deserved two shot kneecaps, Rollins?" Punk asked teasingly as Seth smiled.

"You know what I mean." Seth smiled, "Carter and Bray are… where they're supposed to be. Bray is going to prison a child kidnapper. He's not gonna have it easy. Carter the same. He's getting locked in a cage with all the men he let down, you know, to do with your real dad. They're gonna use him as a punchbag." Seth nodded.

"Good." Punk said, "It's what they deserve." He said as Seth nodded in agreement, "Feels like we're stronger this time around. Not that we should have to get used to this sort of thing but… last time, with Bray and Abigail, I thought we were all gonna fall apart. AJ, Nova, hell even me… I was in a bad place." He said, "This time, even though me and AJ got hurt, it feels like nothing could have beaten us anyway."

"Well you guys took a lot of time off to… recover mentally and physically, and Nova clearly benefited from her therapy, and those classes Danny had with her." Seth said, "I gotta give it to you, you're a good ass dad." Seth said, "Any other father probably would have told their kid to just suck it up and get over it, but you took the time to make sure Nova got the right help, professional help, even if you didn't enjoy it, even if it upset you… and look how much it helped her." Seth said as Punk smiled.

"I keep telling AJ. Nova is gonna give her a run for her money." Punk nodded.

"Yeah, she's a little warrior." Seth smiled, "When you getting out? Do you know yet?" He asked.

"I'll probably be out either tomorrow night or the next night. As long as I come for my physio and I'm resting well. AJ will probably be in for longer." Punk nodded, "But she's good. I'm not… I'm not worried about her. She's taking it all as a positive. To be honest, I think she's just glad it's over." He admitted truthfully.

"It really is over this time." Seth said as Punk nodded.

"Thankfully." Punk said.

* * *

"Chop up the banana really small." Dean said to Nova who was standing up on a kitchen chair at the kitchen counter chopping up bananas for the late-night snack which was pancakes, bananas and syrup.

Although Nova was missing her parents and her own home, she was really enjoying staying with Dean and Renee. They were a lot of fun, and just as mad as her own mother and father, and she felt safe with them, which was exactly what she and Maggie needed.

Dean knew that Punk and AJ would feel a lot better knowing that Nova and Maggie were safe with them for the next few days or weeks, however long it would take until they were fit to look after the kids.

"Chop a little extra for Maggie too." Renee smiled, holding Maggie in her arms whom she had grown a loving attachment too. She loved Nova too, but she just loved holding the baby and putting her to sleep. Neither Dean or Renee really babysat that much for AJ and Punk. Renee worked a lot of hours, as did Dean, and so it was normally Dan or Eve who babysat from time to time.

"Banana is Maggie's favourite." Nova let them know, "But you gotta mash it all down for her. That's what mommy does." She said as Dean smiled.

"Ok. Should I start making the pancakes?" Dean asked. He liked the feeling of a full house, and suddenly images of having his own children one day, with Renee were popping into his head which was pretty overwhelming since he and Renee had only been together for just a year, but it was exciting him, and also teaching him that it wouldn't be so scary to have his own family, and he was glad to help out AJ and Punk doing whatever he could.

"Can you make them nice and big and puffy?" Nova asked whilst continuing to cut up the bananas, "Daddy makes them all fluffy he's good at making pancakes. He's the pancake maker." Nova told them as they smiled whilst Maggie found comfort in Renee's arms.

"I bet I can make them much better." Dean smirked, pouring out some batter to make the first pancake as Nova watched closely.

"If they are we can't tell daddy though because he might get upset." Nova said very seriously as Dean nodded.

"Ok. It'll be our secret if mine are better." Dean nodded with a smile, turning back to Renee who smiled, taking a seat at the kitchen table as she rubbed Maggie's back softly as the six-month-old took steady grips of her blonde hair, very content and happy in her arms.

For two people who had been to rock bottom through their own alcohol abuse, to find this calm and happiness in life with each other, and envisioning a future together, it was something they were not only excited for, but something they were proud of already.

Dean flipped over the pancake, revealing a very well-cooked side as Nova nodded, impressed.

"That looks good." Nova smiled, "I should be getting the best one since I done all the hard work." Nova told them as Dean nodded.

"Yes, you did slave over those bananas." Dean smiled as Renee laughed, "These will be the best pancakes you've ever tasted." He insisted as Nova smiled excitedly.

* * *

Just after tea was served in the hospital, Punk crutched himself along the corridor to AJ's room where she was sitting up watching TV after finishing off her drink. It was very odd to both be in hospital at the same time.

"Here comes hop-along." AJ smiled as Punk crutched his way into the room and smiled.

"The one and only." Punk nodded, taking a seat on the armchair, placing his crutches down as he winced a little.

"You better not be doing too much. Remember it's both your knees." AJ warned him.

"Oh, I'm fine." Punk waved his hand, "How are you?"

"Since two hours ago when you last saw me? About the same." AJ smiled to him. The hospital had been good with allowing Punk to come in and out of AJ's room to see her. He'd also been allowed to go see his father who was also making a speedy recovery, and was glad to know everything was ok, and everyone was safe.

"What are you watching?" Punk looked at the TV.

"Bargain buys." AJ said, "Extreme couponing was on before it." She explained.

"It's like a vacation in here for you." Punk joked as AJ just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, of course it is." She nodded. She was still in a great deal of pain and her medication was still very strong to balance her pain, but her spirits were good and she was trying her best not to be down about things, but sometimes her bipolar didn't let her choose when she wanted to be feeling good or not. So far she felt strong, and saying that from a hospital bed might have been strange, but so far she didn't feel like last time. She didn't feel hopeless, and she knew that was because they had spent months becoming strong, unbreakable almost.

"How's the side?" Punk asked her.

"It's ok." AJ said, "I get my meds before bed to help me get a good sleep." She said.

"Yeah, I get the same." Punk nodded, "Seth was visiting, did he come see you?" Punk wondered.

"He did, yeah." AJ nodded, "He said Eve was going out of her mind with worry, thinking it was her fault." AJ shook her head, "I told him to tell her to stop it. Wasn't anyone's fault."

"Yeah, he said." Punk nodded, "You didn't say anything about our engagement, did you?" He asked.

"No. Why?" AJ asked him.

"Well I just… I figured we keep it to ourselves until we get out and we can celebrate a little better." He said.

"Until we have engagement sex?" She smirked.

"With our friends? No, I hope not." He joked as she smiled.

"I'll not say anything." AJ said, "It can be our secret for now." She smiled to him as he nodded.

Truthfully, he wanted to wait for them to be back in their house, and he wanted to wait until he gave AJ a ring. Their engagement had been very spontaneous, especially since it was practically AJ who proposed to him, but he wanted to buy her the ring, and ask himself once they were recovered. He was already planning on where he could take her, thinking of the night in his head.

"Dean seems to be having a good time with Nova and Maggie staying." Punk smiled.

"I know, right." AJ smiled, "Nova was so excited for the movies when she left yesterday." She said, "I'm just glad they're both safe. My babies." AJ sighed. She only wished they could be here with her in bed with her, all snuggled up, but knowing they were safe and happy with Dean and Renee was also a pleasant thought.

"Yeah, they're both just fine." Punk smiled, "Makes a huge difference, doesn't it?" He said.

"Yeah. I think that's why I got so down the last time. Knowing that Nova was suffering just… tore me apart, and knowing how much stronger she was, how brave she had been… I don't know, it's made me feel brave, in a way." She admitted, "Sound stupid-"

"No. I get you." Punk nodded, "We don't have to be afraid now." Punk said, "It really is over. They monsters are off to rot in prison and we're gonna get better, and carry on with our lives." He said.

"To think just over a year ago I thought you were dead." AJ frowned, reaching over and taking his hand in hers softly, "Now you're here and I feel stronger than ever." She smiled as he nodded.

"Yeah." Punk smiled, "Yeah, me too."

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	88. Bunny And Fox

**Bunny And Fox**

* * *

The next day, Punk had gotten to go home, with the exception that he took it easy on himself and continued to rest. He was glad to get into his own bed, even though he wished AJ was coming home too, although he had left her in good spirits.

He crutched his way in through the house after Dean had picked him up with the kids. Punk insisted that he'd manage fine with the kids, but that he'd be grateful to Dean if he could drive Nova to school since he couldn't drive her himself.

"Ok, Nova. You and Maggie gotta look after your old dad." Dean said, holding Maggie in his arms whilst Nova walked ahead behind Punk.

"I always look after daddy, Dean." Nova said, "But why isn't mommy coming home? I miss her." Nova sighed as Punk nodded, collapsing down on the couch, laying his crutches down whilst Dean placed Maggie down with her own toys. It was good in a way that the girls could be back in their own home, even though they'd had a blast at Dean's the past few days.

"She'll be home soon." Punk promised, "She misses you and Maggie a lot." He nodded as Nova climbed up on the couch beside her.

"And I miss her." Nova sighed dramatically, "Why can you come home and she can't?" Nova wondered whilst Dean crouched down and was making Maggie giggle by tickling under her chin and playing around with some of her toys.

"Well she needs more help from the doctors than I do." Punk explained, "So it's best she stays with them. She'll be home soon, baby. I promise." Punk said.

"But can we still visit her?" Nova asked him.

"Of course. We'll go tomorrow when you finish school." Punk said as Nova smiled and nodded.

"Hey, do you want me to stick around and make some dinner?" Dean turned to Punk, standing back up tall as Maggie whimpered a little that he had stopped giving her the attention she enjoyed.

"Oh, it's fine." Punk said, "I'll order a pizza." He nodded.

"Pizza!" Nova cheered as Punk smiled.

"You can stay for some if you want?" Punk said as Dean just shook his head.

"I'm ok. Renee will be home soon anyway so I better get back." Dean said as Punk nodded, standing back up with his crutches as he made his way out to the door with Dean.

"You know I've really appreciated you being so good with the girls these past few days. It's gave me and AJ one less thing to worry about and… it made a difference." Punk nodded sincerely.

"Well, since I didn't act so accordingly before, I figured I had a chance to make it up to you." Dean said, "And they're great kids. I love spending time with them."

"You don't have to make anything up to me, Dean." Punk shook his head, "But nevertheless, I appreciate it." He smiled.

"Well you're my best buddy." Dean said, "And if it's something I can do to make this a little easier on you and AJ, then I'm gonna do it." He nodded, "And I secretly enjoyed it." He said as Punk smiled.

"Well the girls love you." Punk nodded, "You're good to take Nova to school tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be round first thing." He nodded, "Remember and take it easy. You're not a superhero." He said as Punk just nodded.

"I know. I know." He said, "I'll be fine." Punk promised as Dean nodded, patting him on the back.

"See you tomorrow." Dean said as Punk nodded and waved him off, closing over the door and crutching his way back into the living room where Nova was watching the TV and Maggie was sat playing with the coasters on the coffee table, choosing to ignore the fact she had a ton of wonderful toys.

"Pizza?" Punk turned to Nova who nodded and smiled.

* * *

"I'm full, daddy." Nova moaned, barely managing her second slice of pizza an hour later, sitting it over in the box on the coffee table.

"Tell me about it." Punk groaned, tossing his final crust into the pizza box whilst Zootopia played on the TV in the background. Punk had managed to get Maggie down in her crib before the pizza came. He struggled a little going up the stairs with her, but he got there in the end and little Maggie peacefully drifted off to sleep.

"I think this is my favourite movie." Nova told him, laying up comfily on the other side of the couch whilst Punk sat tired and full.

"I thought Moana was your favourite." Punk turned to her.

"Well it is but this movie reminds me of you and mommy." Nova told him as Punk raised a brow and looked at the TV.

"The fox and the bunny?" Punk turned back to Nova.

"Yeah!" Nova exclaimed as Punk turned back to the TV.

"Maybe we look alike but I don't think the personalities are right." He teased, turning back to Nova who just dismissed him with an eyeroll, "You been sleeping ok?" Punk asked her curiously.

"Yeah." Nova nodded, "I'm ok, daddy because I was brave and I'm not afraid." Nova told him as Punk smiled. He could see how much Nova enjoyed being brave, and how proud she was of herself, and he had never been prouder of her. She'd come such a long way from being scarred and traumatised by Bray, to conquering her fears and protecting herself and her sister. And she was only six. She really was his hero.

"You think all your time with David helped you?" Punk asked her.

"Yeah. I drawed David a picture because I wanna see him and tell him that I was a brave girl." Nova said as Punk nodded.

"That's a good idea. We should go see him soon then." He nodded as Nova smiled.

"We should." Nova agreed.

"Ok, I'm gonna need your help soon." Punk told her as Nova eyed him curiously and sat up.

"What with?" Nova smiled excitedly.

"Well if I told you a secret, would you promise to not say anything to anyone? It has to stay between me and you." Punk said as Nova crawled over to him and nodded.

"I promise. Tell me tell me." She tugged at his arm as he nodded.

"So me and mommy are gonna get married." He smiled as Nova grinned, "And I need your help to pick a ring for mommy." He said.

"Cool." Nova emphasised the 'oo' part, "Wait… what's married?" She wondered, "Is that like when you can't ever leave each other?"

"Pretty much." Punk chuckled, "When you love someone very much, you might get married. Well… you don't have to." He quickly said.

"So you and mommy are getting married?" Nova smiled.

"Yeah." Punk nodded. Although he and AJ had pretty much agreed to getting married, Punk wanted to buy a ring and propose, even if AJ had already asked him. When she got better, he wanted to propose properly, hopefully his knees would be better so he could get down on one knee.

"And will there be a party?" Nova smiled.

"There might be." Punk nodded, "So I need your help to find me a ring that mommy will like." He said as Nova nodded, "But it has to be our secret. You can't even say to mommy. It's between me and you… and Maggie." Punk nodded of course.

"I'm excited." Nova exclaimed, "It has to be sparkly and big." She nodded, resting against him as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, it has to be pretty, right?" Punk said.

"Yeah." Nova said, "Does that mean you and mommy will be together forever and ever?" She asked, looking up at him as he smiled.

"Baby, we'd be together forever and ever without marriage anyway. That's not something you gotta worry about." He said.

"How did you meet mommy?" Nova wondered as Punk smiled.

"I met her at work. Down at the station. She was young and she was new and I… I helped her out. We became best friends instantly." Punk smiled.

"Is she still your best friend?" Nova asked.

"She'll always be my best friend. Before anything else." Punk nodded, looking down at her as she looked up, intrigued and waiting for a story of some sort, "She was beautiful." Punk nodded as Nova smiled.

"Mommy is beautiful." Nova agreed.

"She is." Punk said, "And she was the smartest person I'd ever known. And the strongest." Punk nodded, "I remember the first time I saw her out of her uniform, back when we were just normal police officers." He explained, "It was at the decorations." He remembered, "And she was… stunning." Punk nodded.

"Was she wearing the black dress? I like that dress." Nova nodded to herself.

"She was wearing a black dress actually." Punk nodded, remembering back to the first time he'd saw AJ outwith the station. It had to have been a few months after she'd joined the force. She was still his rookie, but they'd already developed a huge friendship, and perhaps that was when he started to realise that there was more to her than a pretty smile and a good set of brains.

" _I hate these damn awards." Punk shook his head, walking into the function hall where the law enforcement decorations were held every year. A few of the guys from their station were accepting awards and they had showed to show their support, as well as for the other stations and departments across the country._

" _So do I." Dean grumbled, picking at his black tie that was too tight._

" _Then why do you come?" Seth shook his head at them._

" _Shut up." Dean and Punk both echoed at the same time._

" _Where is our table?" Rocky came up behind them, "I'm gasping for a drink already."_

" _We're normally over here at the corner." Punk said, pointing to the table where a few others were sat._

" _Who is that?" Seth screwed his eyes up, looking at their table._

" _Dates probably." Punk shook his head, "No one ever tells us we're allowed plus ones."_

" _We don't have plus ones." Dean turned to him as Punk just waved his hand._

" _Uh… fellas, that's Mendez and Torres." Rocky laughed a little as Punk looked more closely, noticing AJ, little AJ, his rookie, a good friend he had made, sitting in a long black dress with a slit down one side, her dark hair straight and shiny, a little spot of make-up on, mascara to brighten her eyes._

" _Jesus." Punk whispered to himself. Not that he didn't think she was already beautiful, but he was speechless._

" _Eve is looking fine." Seth nodded, already making his way over to Eve eagerly whilst Rocky headed off for drinks and Dean and Punk stood._

" _Mendez with some leg on show." Dean nodded, "Nice." He said as Punk shoved him, still in a trance with AJ, "I'm going for a drink." Dean said as Punk made his way over to AJ._

" _Hey." Punk said, trying not to show the awe in his voice as AJ turned around and looked up at him._

" _Oh, hi." AJ smiled pleasantly, standing up and giving him a friendly hug, "You're looking rather smart." She smiled teasingly, pinching his tie playfully._

" _And you're looking…" Punk paused, choosing his words carefully, "Lovely." He said calmly as she smiled._

" _I wasn't planning on coming but… Eve convinced me." She shrugged, "I take it you guys are at this table too?" She smiled, sitting back down as Punk took a seat beside her._

" _Yeah, we're here too." Punk smiled, not being able to stop staring at her._

" _What is it? Is there something on my face?" AJ asked seriously._

" _Uh no… no… I'm just… not used to seeing you like this." He admitted._

" _Right, you normally see me angry and taking wrong turns." She said as he nodded._

" _Right on." Punk smiled as she just took a sip of her water as he watched in a trance. She was gorgeous, but she was his best friend. He had to push those feelings away._

"We talked all night that night." Punk continued to tell Nova, "It was like it was just us two." He said, looking down at Nova who was fast asleep by his side, "Not that interesting, huh?" Punk nodded with a smile, brushing her hair from her face and wrapping his arm around her.

He turned back to the TV where the movie was still on, watching curiously as the police bunny and the fox comforted each other, smiling to himself as he turned back to Nova, "Me and mommy, huh?" He nodded quietly with a smile, leaning down and kissing her head, leaving her to sleep against him whilst he tuned into the rest of the movie.


	89. Normality

**Normality**

* * *

"Slowly… don't run." Punk insisted whilst crutching his way along the hospital corridor. Dean had just picked Nova up from school, and had taken them both to go visit AJ in hospital. Punk wanted to take Maggie also, but he was finding it hard to crutch himself along whilst holding her, it was actually impossible, and he had been forcing himself to walk too soon, just so he could hold her, which he knew wouldn't be good for his knees, so Maggie had gone home with Dean to get her lunch and her nap.

"I'm excited!" Nova justified her short sprint down the corridor as Punk just smiled. He only wished he was that excited when he was Nova's age, coming to the hospital. He guessed he was always there under different circumstances.

"I know but you don't want to bump into someone." Punk told her, but she didn't listen and continued to jump, hop, skip, run, whatever through the corridor until she found AJ's room door.

"Can I go in?" Nova asked, waiting for Punk to catch up, finding it hard to go at her pace when he was nursing two very painful knees.

"On you go." Punk nodded as Nova burst through the door, pausing when AJ wasn't in her bed, or anywhere in the room actually.

"Oh, where is she?" Nova groaned sadly as Punk shook his head with confusion, looking around the room until he heard the toilet flushing, not believing it as he turned to the toilet door which opened up, revealing AJ on her feet, with a nurse's help of course, but nevertheless, on her feet, balancing herself on her own, "Mommy!" Nova exclaimed with joy as AJ smiled at the wonderful sight of Punk and Nova.

"Oh, hi baby." AJ smiled whilst still allowing the nurse to help her take slow steps.

"Mommy, you're out of bed." Nova smiled, joining AJ's side, "Here take my hand." She insisted as AJ smiled, taking Nova's small hand, "Does that mean you're feeling better?" Nova wondered.

"A little. Yeah." AJ smiled as Punk watched her with awe. For someone who had been shot, had a collapsed lung and lost a lot of blood, to be up walking around after just a few days was insane. He stood by his word. She was a machine.

"How are you feeling?" Punk smiled whilst the nurse helped her back into bed slowly.

"Still sore." AJ assured him, "But… not as bad. I just wanted to pee on my own." She shook her head, growling a little at the older lady nurse.

"April, you could have fallen over. I had to be there." The little old lady insisted, tucking the covers back up over AJ as AJ just smiled.

"I know." She nodded.

"Stubborn one, she is." The nurse turned to Punk who nodded.

"Tell me about it." Punk smiled, watching as the nurse left the room, "So, you're feeling not too bad?" He asked her.

"Yeah, I'm doing ok." AJ assured him, letting Nova climb up beside her as she played with her dark hair, "How was school, Chiquita?" AJ kissed Nova's head.

"It was fine." Nova said, "When we does art today my painting got put up on the wall." Nova informed her mother, "And me and Cheryl made a poster too." She said as AJ smiled across to Punk who smiled back. One of those smiles parents gave one another when they were struck by the adorableness of their child.

"You and Cheryl are becoming quite the duo, huh?" Punk asked Nova, taking a seat carefully, putting his crutches to the side.

"She's my best friend." Nova nodded, "She invited me for dinner tomorrow but I said I'd have to check my schedule."

"Your schedule?" AJ laughed lightly, "What schedule?"

"Well I gotta play with Maggie. And help daddy because he's got sore legs, and I got homework to do." She huffed dramatically at her tough, tough life.

"Damn, it's stressful being six, isn't it?" Punk nodded to her.

"It is." Nova agreed seriously, "But her mommy will make us mac and cheese and that's my favourite." She admitted.

"You should go." Punk smiled, "It's nice that she's inviting you for dinner."

"She also invited Maddie and Ashley. But she invited me first." Nova made sure to tell them as AJ smiled.

"Well that was very nice of her, bug." AJ smiled, playing with Nova's hair, "You should go with your friends." She nodded. She was glad normality was still in place with their life. Before, Nova wouldn't eat, sleep or interact with many people, and her progress had just been remarkable. It gave AJ the strength she needed to get better.

"I will." Nova agreed as AJ smiled.

"Here, turn the TV on if you like." AJ said, passing her the remote as Nova turned the TV on, enjoying sitting next to the comfort of her mother, "So how are you? How was it at home?" AJ turned to Punk.

"I think I underestimated our flight of stairs." Punk admitted, "And the fact I had to carry Maggie up, then carry Nova up because she fell asleep on the couch… didn't do me too good." He admitted.

"This is exactly what the doctors told you to avoid. You've to rest, Phil." AJ shook her head.

"I have been resting. I laid up all day today whilst Nova was at school." He said, "I just hate feeling like an invalid." He groaned.

"At least you're out." AJ sighed, "I can't wait to be home." She said.

"Hopefully when you do get home we can… really move on this time." He said as she nodded.

"I'm dreaming about it." She told him as he smiled, "How is Maggie? I thought you would have brought her but… I guess if you're struggling." She understood.

"I would have but it's difficult to hold her when I've to use my crutches." Punk said, "I'll bring her tomorrow with Dean." He assured her, "She's fine. Happy." Punk nodded, knowing AJ would be glad to hear that.

"I can't wait to see her." AJ smiled, continuing to brush her hand through Nova's hair, "Have you heard anything about… them?" AJ asked, not even finding it in her to use their names.

"Not much really. It's nothing we need to waste our time thinking about. They'll go off to gen pop, or segregation, depending on how they play their cards, either way its goodbye forever." He shrugged as AJ just nodded.

"When will they make the transfer?" AJ asked.

"Well, you know there's a lot of enquiries beforehand, and assessments, but as soon as possible I'd assume." He nodded, "Don't think about them. It's not worth it." He shook his head as she just nodded, "You getting restless in here?" He wondered.

"I wouldn't say restless." AJ said, "I just want to be in my own bed, you know?" She smiled, "And I miss you guys." She frowned, "But it's a healing process. Getting angry and frustrated isn't gonna speed up the recovery." She shrugged.

"You're like a changed woman." Punk smiled.

"I don't know, Phil. I just… lying there in that basement with you… dying… made me realise how… how good our life is. How we need to be here for the girls and we need to be here for each other." She said, "I'm tired of… running into trouble, or… letting trouble run into us." She smiled a little.

"Part of the job, sweetheart." Punk smiled.

"I know it is." AJ understood, "And I… I love my job. It's probably saved me from a lot in life. It's kept me healthy when I easily could have hit rock bottom and… never come back up… but… I think it's time we start being a little more careful." She admitted, "I can still be a detective. Just… with a little less people wanting to hurt me and the girls." She said.

"I'd say we just got a turn of bad luck." Punk shrugged, "All of that stuff is behind us. All of it. Bray and Abigail. Carter. My four years in Mexico. It's all in the past and I am… I am really looking forward to the future." He admitted as she smiled.

"Yeah, me too." AJ smiled, "But… one step at a time." She said as he nodded.

"Always." He smiled, looking on at Nova peacefully sitting next to her mother watching the TV, "Hey, would you mind if I go see my dad for a little bit while she's ok here?" Punk wondered.

"On you go." AJ nodded, "She's fine." AJ smiled to him, "And give your dad a hug from me." She said as he nodded, getting to his feet with his crutches and leaving the room to go see his father.

Punk crutched his way to the elevator and got himself to the floor which his father was on, making his way down the corridor when he saw Justine standing outside his father's room.

"Hey!" Punk yelled bitterly, crutching his way quickly over to Justine who immediately turned to him, "You knew, didn't you? You knew, you witch." Punk spat as Justine scoffed and folded her arms.

"Easy on the compliments." Justine smiled, "You're looking at the woman who saved your father's life." She said.

"No. You were there to make sure he was hurt, but that he didn't die. That was your job." Punk spat, "You knew what was gonna go down. You knew my daughters were at risk. One of them is a baby. What the hell is wrong with you?" Punk spat.

"I was following orders." Justine spat, "That was it."

"Here's an order. Go fuck yourself." Punk spat as Justine flinched a little at the harshness of his voice, "Your master is off to prison. Ok. So that leash he had on you. It's gone. So why don't you do me a favour and get out of my sight, or I will have no problem in dragging your name into this."

"You'd have no evidence on me." Justine smiled smugly.

"I'd find something on you, sweetheart. Don't worry." Punk said, "Why are you even up here?" He asked.

"I was making sure your dad was ok." Justine said.

"Oh do me a favour." Punk shook his head, "Like I said. You don't need to act it anymore. I know you knew everything, and you were only there that night to make sure my dad was hurt, but not dead." Punk said.

"That's your problem, Phil." Justine laughed, "You always think you know everything. You always think you know every single detail. And you don't. You never do. I was driving by and I stopped my car for an old man, stabbed on the sidewalk. I got him help and that was it." Justine spat.

"You don't have to pretend. I'm not recording anything." Punk said, "You were following orders. Were you seeking for approval? Huh? Did you have a little crush on Carter? Did you wanna impress him and do as he said?" He asked as Justine glared at him, "Newsflash, he didn't care. He used you. And you deserve it for being so foolish."

"He just wanted his revenge." Justine said, "He'd lost his way a long time ago when you finished the case with Billy. He wasn't after anything but hurting you for ruining his career."

"A pretty sad career if you ask me." Punk said, "How come you agents still get to operate when you're crooks who cover-up hard hitting criminals?" Punk asked, "Now that Carter isn't in charge anymore, you'll all scatter like roaches, am I right?" He asked her.

"Carter was never in charge." Justine shook her head as Punk looked across at her, "I have no reason to encounter you anymore." She told him as Punk screwed his eyes up at her, "Goodbye, Phil." She nodded, walking past him as Punk watched her with a growl, shaking his head and turning back to his father's room. He wasn't going to let that stuff get to his head.

He made his way into his father's room, pausing at the door as he saw his father laughing it up with the nurse. She wasn't anywhere near his father's age, but she wasn't young either. In his opinion, way out of his father's league, but it seemed like there were some sparks, and Punk had only wished he'd waited outside until they were done.

"Ah, Phil." Dan smiled, sitting up, well rested in bed as he turned to Punk, "Susan, this is my son, Phil. He's a police officer and commissioner of the station." He added with a wink as Punk rolled his eyes.

"Hi, Phil." Susan smiled whilst clearing away Dan's tray from lunch.

"Hey." Punk smiled pleasantly.

"This is the nurse who has been looking after me." Dan explained cheerfully as Punk nodded.

"He's a pain, isn't he?" Punk nodded to Susan, crutching his way over to the chair.

"Maybe a little." Susan smiled, "I'll get out of the way." She smiled nervously as Punk watched her walk out of the room with the tray, turning to his father and grinning.

"Don't look at me like that, boy." Dan said, trying not to laugh as Punk just smirked.

"I thought you were dead and gone in there." Punk laughed a little, "She's pretty."

"She is." Dan smiled, "She'd been keeping me company these past few days."

"I can see that very clearly." Punk nodded as Dan rolled his eyes, "Looks a tad young for you, don't you think?" He said.

"Don't hate, appreciate." Dan told him as Punk nodded, "How is April doing?"

"Yeah, good. I've left Nova down with her. I figured I come see you while I'm here." He said, "She was up and walking about, help from the nurse of course but it's an improvement." Punk nodded, "Maybe in a few days she'll get home." He said hopefully.

"That's great, son." Dan nodded, "I'm just glad everyone is ok." He said truthfully, "Wounds can heal. Dead bodies can't." He said, "Hopefully we can all get back to normal. You and April more than anything." He said as Punk nodded.

"Well here's the thing." Punk said, "Me and April are gonna get married." He said as Dan raised his eyebrows.

"You are?" Dan asked with a smile, "I thought that wasn't in the cards for you both?"

"Well, it wasn't something we were fussed over but… being close to death really makes you wanna appreciate what you've got and… hold on to it forever." He said, "It was sort of rushed so when April gets better I'm gonna… I'm gonna properly propose and get a ring. Make it special, you know?" He said.

"Well about time." Dan nodded, "Wait until I get out of the hospital, will you? I wanna see you both get married." He teased as Punk nodded.

"Dad, I don't think we're gonna rush away tomorrow. We'll take our time." Punk nodded, "Maybe you could even bring Susan." He smirked as Dan glared at him.

"I hate how amusing this is for you." Dan scoffed.

"It's not. What? I can't be happy for my dad?" Punk asked.

"Hmm." Dan just hummed.

"Never too late for a step-mom." Punk smirked as Dan just waved his hand.

"Oh, away you go." He shook his head as Punk chuckled.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	90. Promise

**Promise Me**

* * *

"I appreciate you having Nova over for dinner." Punk spoke to Vanessa the next night, picking Nova up from Cheryl's after she had went for dinner.

"I figured you could use the help. You're not alone." Vanessa smiled pleasantly, "And Nova is no trouble at all. They get along so well." She smiled as they looked over to where Nova was tying her shoe laces with the help from Cheryl herself. Their other little friends had already been picked up.

"Yeah, Nova's constantly talking about Cheryl. It's nice." Punk nodded, "They're more like cousins than… aunt and niece." Punk admitted as Vanessa nodded.

"Yeah, they'll probably grow up like that." Vanessa said, "Cheryl always talks about you." She nodded, "She loves to tell people she has a brother. One who actually cares about her and hasn't been sent to prison that is." Vanessa added as Punk smiled.

"It still feels surreal." Punk said a Nova soon ran over to them with Cheryl.

"I'm ready." Nova announced, taking her backpack from Vanessa, "I done all my homework too, daddy. So I don't need to do it when I go home." She told him as Punk smiled.

"You guys do it together?" Punk asked them as Cheryl and Nova both nodded in sync, "Well what do you say Vanessa for having you over, Nova?" Punk said, still using his crutches but feeling a lot more mobile by the day for sure, but he was still taking it slow.

"Thanks Vanessa for having me over." Nova repeated as Vanessa smiled.

"That's ok, sweetie." Vanessa smiled, "You're welcome anytime." She said as Nova smiled, standing beside her father.

"Maybe next time you can come to our house for dinner." Punk turned to Cheryl who smiled and nodded.

"When you're fit and ready." Vanessa added as Punk nodded.

"When will I see you again, Phil?" Cheryl wondered. She liked Punk. She wasn't aware of the significant relationship they had, because she was still so young, but she knew he was special and important, and she liked that she felt calm and safe where he was.

"Very soon." Punk promised, "Once Nova's mom gets out of hospital, I'll take you girls out. I promise." He said as Cheryl nodded.

"Out where?" Nova wondered.

"You two decide." Punk nodded, "Come give me a hug." Punk insisted, bending over as he couldn't crouch completely to bend his knees, ditching his crutches to the side and wrapping his arms around Cheryl, giving her a tight squeeze and a kiss on the head as Vanessa smiled.

"When will your legs be ok?" Cheryl asked worriedly after pulling back from the beardy hug.

"Soon." Punk promised, "I just gotta be patient and they'll heal." Punk said.

"I hope you feel better." Cheryl said as Punk smiled.

"Thanks, sweetheart." Punk smiled, taking his crutches again, "Ok, we'll get out of the way." Punk said, "See you soon." He nodded, leaving the house with Nova as they began to walk home which was only ten minutes away. Maggie was with Eve and Seth. Punk hated feeling like he was unable to look after his own children properly, but he was really doing what he could, and he probably shouldn't even have been doing as much as he was as at night his knees were painful. He had to remember he wasn't Superman. Not that he'd ever want to be.

* * *

"You wanna play with this one?" Seth asked, sitting down on the living room floor with Tyler, playing with him as the one-year-old threw his toys across the floor, and then cheered to himself the further the toys landed. He was starting to take wobbly steps now, and say some of his first words, but in Eve and Seth's eyes, he was still just their baby.

"What about this one?" Seth lifted some of the different shapes of blocks, like the star one, the cube and triangle, but Tyler continued to throw them over, which of course amused Seth.

Eve came through to the living room after putting Maggie down for a nap. They said they'd drop her off in a few hours to Punk. They were more than happy to help out until both AJ and Punk got back to their full strength, but Eve was finding it particularly hard to deal with what had happened.

"You ok?" Seth smiled, standing up and leaving Tyler to play with his toys, sitting down next to Eve who nodded, forcing herself to nod because she was trying to pretend she was ok.

"Maggie is asleep." Eve smiled, "She's so much easier than Tyler is." She laughed lightly.

"Girl thing." Seth waved his hand.

"No. Tyler thing." Eve smiled to him as Seth nodded.

"How is your head?" Seth asked her as Eve just nodded.

"It's fine." Eve smiled. She did receive a bad concussion after the blow to the head she'd gotten, but it wasn't everlasting, and thankfully there were no stitches needed, "I hate being here myself now." She admitted truthfully, turning to him whilst fidgeting with her hands.

"Why?" Seth asked, placing his hand on her thigh softly.

"I just… I think there's always someone here. Every little crack I hear I think it's him. I think it's him coming to… knock me out and then take Tyler this time." Eve said.

"Eve, he's in custody. He's going to prison. Sooner rather than later." Seth said, "He's not going to hurt you. Or Tyler." Seth shook his head.

"I keep thinking it was my fault." Eve admitted with a lump in her throat, turning away so he didn't see her crying, "I'm supposed to be a cop." She said, outraged with herself, "I should have protected myself and the girls and Tyler." Eve shook her head.

"Hey, don't do this." Seth sighed, "He attacked you from behind. He didn't want a fight with you. He just needed you out of the way. Had you saw him and had the chance to fight him off, I'm sure you would have." Seth nodded, "You can't blame yourself for this. No one got hurt. We're all still here." Seth nodded, placing his arm around her lower back, pulling her into him as she cried silently.

"AJ will hate me." Eve sobbed.

"AJ does not hate you. I've spoken to her. She doesn't want you to be afraid of… of going to see her. She's not angry." Seth said, "In fact, she's worried about you. It was not your fault that two psychopaths teamed together to get what they want."

"I could have done something-"

"No, you couldn't have." Seth said, "That man was a coward. He came at you from behind so you couldn't fight him off. This isn't about you not being able to defend yourself or not reacting quick enough. You couldn't do anything." Seth said, "And it doesn't matter now because we're all fine, and that's the important part." Seth said, "And AJ doesn't hate you. She's desperate to see you."

"She is?" Eve asked.

"Yeah." Seth nodded, "No one is to blame here, Eve. If there's anyone to blame, it is only those two monsters. I know you feel like you could have done something since you were there, but you were attacked. You were out cold. AJ and Punk aren't going to get mad at that. They aren't mad. We're cops. We know that things, incidents, they can spring from nowhere and escalate just as quickly." Seth said, "You can't blame yourself for all of this. It's not right."

"It's just because they were taken from here. You know?" Eve sniffled, trying to get herself together as Seth nodded.

"I know, babe." Seth nodded soothingly.

"If anything had happened to the girls-"

"Nothing happened." Seth quickly said, "So you don't need to think about that. We're all safe and good." He said as Eve nodded, "C'mon. Please don't be upset." He sighed, pressing a kiss against her cheek as she smiled, drying her eyes.

"I just feel so stupid." Eve admitted, drying her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"You're not stupid." Seth said, "Had you been ready for it, you would have… beaten his ass. I know it." Seth nodded as Eve smiled softly.

"I would have." Eve agreed as Seth smiled.

"Please don't get upset." Seth pleaded as Eve nodded, "It's no one's fault but those monsters." He said as Eve nodded, resting her head against Seth's shoulder, feeling a toy hit her leg as they both looked over at Tyler giggling, making them both laugh.

* * *

Later that night, AJ was laying in her hospital bed watching some TV and resting. She really was trying her hardest to rest properly, and was working on her stubbornness whilst in the hospital. She knew she'd be home in a few days, and so the wait didn't seem too bad. She was feeling physically better as her doctor was happy with her healing progress, but little by little, she was starting to take a little bit of a turn mentally, as would anyone who had been laying in a hospital bed for almost a week. She knew she was coming into a depressive cycle, but she was trying to think of the good things, like seeing Punk and the girls tomorrow when they came to visit, or getting out soon, or the fact that they had successfully managed to lock up two monsters who would get just as much torture inside prison as they would outside for the crimes they had committed, Bray in particular.

She was laying up, flicking the channels on the TV, swithering whether to read some of her book which Punk had brought her with some other things, when she watched her door open.

"Only me." Dan said, wheeling himself in the door in his wheelchair, "I don't know about you, but I was bored looking at the four walls of my room." He admitted, wheeling himself over to AJ's bed as AJ smiled.

"I get what you mean." She sighed, "How are you feeling?" She asked him.

"I'm getting there." Dan smiled, "What about you? Phil told me you might get out in a few days."

"I better." AJ scoffed, "I'm ok." She nodded, "Little bit down but… I'm like that anyway." She shrugged.

"You're taken your meds?" Dan asked her.

"Yes, sir." AJ teased as Dan smiled, "Sometimes they don't even touch down on me, though." She said, "I guess I just miss my own bed and… my girls." She nodded.

"Does Phil know you're feeling down?" Dan asked her.

"No. I've been fine up until this morning when I… saw my face in the mirror." She said, "I look like shit. I look like I'm ill." She shook her head.

"Well you were a little worse for wear." Dan reminded her, "You've been through a lot. I mean, any normal person would feel dull after being in the hospital for almost a week. I do." Dan nodded.

"Well there's feeling dull and then there's feeling extremely depressed." AJ said as Dan nodded, "You know how I can get." She said quietly as Dan nodded.

"Something tells me you… never quite explained to Phil how much you struggled in those four years." Dan admitted, "I know he knows you didn't have a blast but-"

"He thinks that I got by for the sake of Nova and that I raised her, and stayed positive for her. And I'd like it to stay that way." AJ admitted, "He knows I struggled. He doesn't need to know the details."

"So he doesn't know you were hospitalised?" Dan asked as AJ turned to him.

"No. And he doesn't need to." AJ told him.

"Here's the thing, sweetheart. You two getting married, you need to talk to each other-"

"We do talk-"

"Let me finish." Dan said, "You need to tell each other everything, and… sometimes you're both not completely honest with each other. Whether or not it makes a difference, it's still an important part of marriage." He said, "Whether it was a few years ago and it doesn't need to be brought up, if you're agreeing to marry someone, you're agreeing to share your life with them. Even the bad parts." He said as AJ sighed, resting her head back on her pillow.

"It won't make a difference." AJ said.

"That doesn't matter." Dan said, "Now I'm sure there are things that he hasn't told you from when he was gone for four years." He said as AJ looked suspiciously at him, "That's not me saying I know anything, but c'mon, four years, that's a lot of time to have just sat peacefully." He said, "Now I know you're dealing with things right now. You're both hurt. You've both been through a lot." Dan nodded, "But you're not an honest couple. I'm not saying that as if you both cheat on each other, but you both do it in a way that you think will protect the other, and while in some cases that's good, it's not if you want to have a healthy marriage." He said as AJ made a childish face, "And I know you're thinking, how can he talk to me about a healthy marriage." He said, "But take it from me, there are a lot of things I wish I told my wife, and there's a lot of things I wish she told me, that perhaps might have helped us in the long run." Dan said.

"Everything is always going to come back to those four years." AJ said.

"Well don't make it." Dan said, "You don't have to lie to protect him. He's a big boy. He'll deal with it."

"Will he? I'd say we've went through enough this month. Maybe next month." AJ teased.

"April, I'm trying to be serious with you here." Dan said as AJ looked across at him, a little scared, but she imagined that if she had a real dad, a proper dad, any dad, this is what he'd be saying to her. He was the only dad figure she had, "You two need to start talking to each other. And I know you're fairly honest, and you're not liars to benefit yourself. I know you both keep things from each other to save the other from feeling hopeless, but that won't work with a marriage." He told her, "It gets laid all on the line before you say I do. Promise me, it does?" Dan said as AJ gulped.

"I promise." AJ whispered as Dan nodded.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	91. Marriage Material

**Marriage Material**

* * *

"You good?" Punk asked, a few days later as he helped, or at least attempted to help AJ up the steps to their home. She was finally getting out of hospital, and she couldn't have been more thankful as the last few days had begun to weigh down on her a little. In all honesty, she could walk better than Punk could, but she was still exhausted and drained, and both of them were still on strict resting schedules, which made it hard to have an excitable six-year-old and a clingy 6-month-old. Thankfully, Dean had suggested the girls stay with him for the first night, just to let AJ get home and settled properly.

"I'm good." AJ nodded, a little out of breath once she'd gotten to the door of their home, "Feel like I've just ran a marathon, but good." AJ convinced him as he smiled, opening up the door as she walked on in slowly whilst Punk crutched his way in behind her.

"We've looked better in our time." Punk nodded as she laughed, holding her side immediately.

"Oh, please don't make me laugh." AJ sighed, "It hurts." She smiled to him, walking through to the living room as Punk smiled, "I really wish the girls were here." AJ sighed sadly.

"I know, I do too but… I figured your first night at home, we could both use a bit of rest." He nodded, "Normally both of us aren't hurt like this." He said as she nodded, sitting down slowly onto the couch and sighing herself.

"It feels good to be home." She nodded with a smile. Just being back in her own home comforts made such a world of difference on every aspect. On her mental health, her physical health and the fact she could be with Punk, and soon the girls too, more often.

"It's been quiet without you." Punk admitted, taking a seat beside her and dumping his crutches to the side, "Stupid things." He grumbled as AJ smiled.

"Lacking patience perhaps?" She smiled to him as he shoved the crutches to the side.

"I have a lot of patience but those things drive me up the wall." Punk said, "I feel like an invalid."

"Beautiful invalid." She smiled to him as he nodded.

"I suppose." He hummed.

"How are your knees anyway?" AJ asked him, slowly sitting back on the couch where Ace jumped up and sat beside her. He had the instinct to know that they were both hurt, and so didn't go too close, but close enough to show his affection, where AJ rested her hand on his back and gave him a pat.

"They're ok." Punk nodded, "Sore for the most part. I'll definitely need physio. I'm gonna be like… 70 and in a wheelchair." He nodded.

"Well I'm not wheeling you around in it." AJ teased as Punk smiled.

"Thank you. I can't wait to grow old together." He smiled to her sarcastically as she smiled back, "How are you feeling? Your side? You need to change your bandages later?"

"Yeah." AJ nodded, "I uh… I might need your help showering and stuff." She shrugged.

"We can help each other." Punk winked as she smiled, "I think Eve is coming round tomorrow afternoon. She's been real nervous to come see us according to Seth. She's been having a hard time with the fact the girls got taken when she was there." Punk shook his head.

"She shouldn't be taking any blame." AJ shook her head, "This wasn't her fault. She was hurt too just like us."

"I know. I told Seth to tell her that but… she's still having a hard time." Punk said as AJ sighed, "Once we speak to her it'll be fine." He assured her as she nodded.

"So what do you have planned for me tonight? Partying? Lots of sex? A car chase? Lots of paper work?" She smiled to him.

"More like pizza and a movie." Punk grinned, "I rented Lethal Weapon."

"A cop movie." AJ smiled to him, "You're too special." She said.

"I know I am." Punk nodded, "I said we'd call Nova before she went to bed later. She insisted." Punk said.

"I miss them." AJ sighed to herself, "I feel like they've just been passed around so much lately." She shook her head.

"We're hurt. We need to accept a little bit of help. I struggled to take care of them on my own. Imagine what we'd both be like? Walking zombies running after them?" He said, "Nova loves staying with Dean. And Maggie would stay with anyone as long as they fed her and let her nap." Punk shook his head as AJ smiled.

"I know. I know they're fine. I just haven't felt very motherly recently." She frowned.

"I get it." Punk nodded, "We'll heal soon. It's just more scars that need to fade, and we'll be back to normal." He said, leaning over and kissing her head softly as she smiled.

* * *

Later that night, they both managed to help one another shower. Punk didn't so much need help, but AJ had a hard time staying steady and cleaning her wound, so Punk gave her a hand. It was nice to just stand under the water, wrapped around one another, not having to do anything to satisfy their needs. It was satisfying enough just to hold one another, and plus, neither were up to banging off one another.

When they got out, AJ stood in her bra and panties in the bathroom of their bedroom. Punk had gotten into some basketball shorts and a t-shirt, and limped his way back into the bathroom to help her with her fresh set of bandages.

"Do you just… wrap it around?" Punk asked her as she held onto the sink and nodded. Her wound was still incredibly sore, in fact, her whole side was as expected.

"Phil, you took a first aid course in year one at the academy." AJ shook her head.

"I was seventeen then. I'm an old guy now." He said as AJ rolled her eyes.

"Yes. Wrap it around." AJ answered him, "Please be gentle." She sighed.

"I'm not gonna punch it." He shook his head, delicately beginning to wrap the bandage around her. First, she had a large plaster which she had put on herself, and then Punk finished it off by wrapping the bandages around her.

"Careful." AJ jumped a little at the little pressure of the bandages, grabbing his wrist to stop him from any other movement.

"It's ok." He said softly, kissing her neck, "Last round." He told her, wrapping the bandage a further time before cutting and taping it as she sighed with relief, "Done." He said, placing the spare bandage over in the kit and giving her a sweet kiss on the cheek as she smiled.

"You'd make a good nurse." AJ smiled, turning around slowly and smiling up at him.

"It was my second career choice." Punk nodded, "I owe you for the amount of times you've stitched and bandaged me up." He said as she smiled.

"Every couples dreams." She smiled as he nodded, "Can you go get me my clothes? They're sitting on the bed." He said.

"Yeah, sure." Punk nodded, limping back out of the bathroom to grab the sweats and t-shirt for AJ that she had left out. He knew he couldn't continue walking around without his crutches. He had to stop doing it.

"Thank you." AJ nodded gratefully as he walked back into the bathroom, "You couldn't…" She shook her head with embarrassment as he watched her.

"I couldn't what?" Punk said.

"You couldn't help me… get dressed, could you?" She asked, a little embarrassed.

"I'm not busy." Punk teased, "I guess I can." He said as she smiled.

"I just feel a little embarrassed." She admitted truthfully as he shook out her t-shirt, pulling it gently over her head and helping her arms into the sleeves.

"Don't be." Punk said, "You're hurt, and I'm here to help you." He said as she smiled, "Isn't this what married couples do?" He wondered.

"Maybe when they're eighty." AJ laughed lightly.

"Well then we're already ahead of the game then." Punk smiled, bending down a little as he helped her put her sweats on.

"Ok. I got it." AJ smiled, pulling her sweats up the rest of the way, "Thank you." She nodded, still slightly embarrassed as he tilted her chin up with his thumb and forefinger, kissing her softly on the lips as she kissed back. She finally felt at home again after so much disruption and unease, and now it was a simple case of healing… and telling the man she loved the truth about his four-year absence.

* * *

Later that night, they managed to find a comfortable position where they were laid up on the couch, curtains drawn, an empty pizza box lying and a movie on. Although AJ missed the girls and desperately wanted them with her, she knew that settling back at home like this for the first night was probably for the best. She knew if the girls were here she'd want to be squeezing them and playing with them and carrying them to bed, and she just couldn't do that yet, Punk could barely do that.

She was sat in between his legs, making sure he was just as comfortable as she was, which he was. She knew now was the perfect time to talk to him, just them two, about what Dan had said. She knew he was right. They did have to be more open, and not be afraid of what the other might think. Especially that they were going to get married.

"So your dad spoke to me in the hospital a few days ago." AJ said quietly as Punk looked down at her, "Just about us getting married. How excited he is for us." AJ smiled as Punk nodded.

"Yeah. I think everyone is to be honest." Punk nodded.

"He says that there should never be any secrets between us. Even if… Even if we're trying to protect one another." She said as Punk nodded suspiciously.

"Well he's right." Punk nodded.

"Mhm." AJ nodded, "I've not been… completely honest with you." She said as Punk stiffened a little, watching her slowly sit up as he helped her.

"What? What is it?" Punk asked worriedly.

"It's… It's nothing to worry about." AJ assured him, "I just… if we're getting married, whenever that is, it should be the start of something new for us. We're not kids. We don't need to lie to protect each other's feelings. We can handle it, right?" She nodded.

"Right." Punk nodded with confusion, "So what's wrong?"

"When you were gone." AJ began, "About six months after the funeral we had for you I… I was hospitalised." AJ nodded, turning to him as he scratched the back of his head.

"I know." Punk nodded as she shook her head.

"You know?" AJ said.

"When you were in the hospital, after having Maggie, they ran through your files with me. They mentioned your last admission and… I realised it was when I was away." Punk nodded, "I didn't want to bring it up because you were dealing with enough and then I guess I just… put it to the back of my mind." He said, "Maybe a part of me didn't want to ask." He said.

"I… admitted myself." AJ nodded, "I was feeling pretty down. And it wasn't just because I thought I'd lost you but… the initial thought of having to raise Nova by myself, and keep working, and doing all those things I loved… they didn't really have much of a meaning anymore." She admitted, "I got real down. I didn't wanna come out of my room. I wouldn't shower for weeks. I… I wasn't taking care of myself and I… when Nova wasn't already being taken care of by your dad, I… I could barely look after her." She nodded, "And yeah, it's embarrassing but-"

"It's not embarrassing." Punk said immediately, "It's life."

"It was for me." AJ said, "And I wanted help." She nodded, "I knew you weren't coming back and I had to face that. So I put myself into hospital. I was there for two weeks." She nodded, "I was scared that one day things were gonna get so bad and so dark that… I would just… do something stupid." She said, hoping Punk would understand the level of stupidity she was considering going to, "So I put myself in the hospital to protect myself." She said.

"April, I'm sorry you had to suffer like that." Punk shook his head, "It eats at me every day."

"It wasn't your fault." AJ shook her head, "I… I also kissed someone whilst you were gone." She nodded, "I tried to… date, I guess." She rolled her eyes as Punk nodded, "It was just after Nova's third birthday. Eve told me that… it was something you'd encourage and you'd want for me, if it made me happy." She shrugged, "But that was the thing it… it didn't make me happy. In fact, it just reminded me that no one was ever gonna come close to you." She shook her head, "There was a kiss but that was it." She shrugged.

"You could have told me." Punk nodded, "I would have understood." He said, "You thought I was dead, and you're right, I would have wanted you to move on if it made you happy. Mostly because I'd be dead and I wouldn't know about it." He teased as she smiled, "But I'm not mad. It was four years." He nodded as she smiled.

"I just… wanted you to know. So there's nothing between us, you know?" She said as he nodded.

"I understand." He smiled, "I'm glad you told me." She said, "I guess it was a rough, bad, confusing four years for us." He nodded.

"I'll say." AJ sighed.

"I had some pretty dark thoughts of my own." He nodded, "Being away from you and Nova wasn't the hard part. It was… knowing that you thought I was dead. I would just lie in bed at night and imagine what you'd be like. How upset and devastated you'd be." He shook his head, "And I did think about you moving on and… I thought maybe you'd find someone that you'd love more than you did me, and Nova would have a dad that she actually knew." He shook his head, "It was torture."

"What did you do for those four years, Phil?" She asked him.

"Well I was practically dead to the world for the first year." Punk said, "And then considering I thought that I would get to come home soon, and that this was all just part of a mission, I figured I just had to sit tight. I done work for Carter. Paper work. Probably just something to shut me up. Something that didn't even mean anything. I done some work around the house too, and I was allowed to train." He nodded.

"Didn't you just get suspicious?" She asked.

"I did but… Carter was such a good actor. He'd give me updates and pretend that he was letting me on in things, even though it was all just bullshit. Once I figured I had to get out before I… went insane, I just figured I had to run." He nodded, "You guys kept me going. I knew I had something to fight for and run home too. Otherwise I would have fallen apart." He said as she nodded.

"I just don't want to… hide secrets from one another to protect each other." She said, "Your dad is right. We have to be honest. We're old enough to deal with it." She said, "And when we're married, I don't want to have any secrets."

"No, me neither." Punk agreed, "We can handle it. Whatever it is. We can handle a lot." He nodded as she smiled.

"Yeah, I'd say we can." She smiled to him, leaning her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her.

"I'm sorry about those four years… not getting to you quicker." He kissed her head, "I didn't want you to suffer."

"It wasn't your fault." AJ shook her head, lifting her head and kissing his shoulder, "It's just something we still gotta accept." She nodded.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, sighing to himself. He knew there was more to AJ's four years than just her getting by with Nova, but he couldn't find it in his heart to ask her, incase it was something she wasn't up to talking about, but she was right, they had to lay things all on the line now.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	92. Put A Ring On It

**Put A Ring On It**

* * *

"I thought Phil would be home too." Eve admitted the next day after going to AJ and Punk's house to visit them, only finding AJ in the house with Ace of course.

"You've just missed him. He's gone to pick up Nova. He likes the walk." AJ shrugged, "He's having trouble staying still." She smiled, slowly walking back into the living room where she took a seat beside Eve on the couch. Her and Punk had a nice night by themselves. They'd opened up a lot, spoke about their need to be honest with each other, even if the truth would hurt, and she instantly did feel much better like Dan had said she would. Now she just wanted to concentrate on getting back to good health, and getting back to work.

"He'll need to be careful he doesn't further hurt himself." Eve said.

"He knows." AJ said, "The doctor is happy with him doing a little bit of movement now. He said that might be good for him, instead of having him stiffen up." She said as Eve nodded, "To be honest, I thought you'd come visit me in the hospital." She admitted truthfully.

"I would have but… I've been nursing my own head, and looking after Tyler, and… I wanted to wait until you were home." She nodded, "I didn't know if you'd want to see me." She said truthfully.

"Eve." AJ sighed, "This was not your fault and I… I don't blame you. Just because you were with the girls when they got taken doesn't mean you… you handed them over to him. You were attacked." AJ said, "And I'm not mad."

"I feel responsible." Eve nodded, "Seth tells me I'm not but I feel it." She said.

"Well you can't." AJ told her, "He came at you from behind. If it wasn't you, it would have been Seth. You couldn't have done anything." AJ said, "Please." She reached out and took Eve's hand, "Don't feel responsible for anything." She shook her head, "We're all ok. That's the most important thing." She said.

"It was just so scary." Eve sighed, "Waking… Waking up and… the girls being gone." She shook her head as AJ nodded, "If anything had happened to them I-"

"Nothing happened." AJ assured her, "They're both fine." She smiled, "And you're not blame for anything. So stop it." AJ said firmly. She didn't want Eve to feel any guilt just because she was the one whom the girls were taken from. She was a victim too in all of this, and she got hurt too. It wasn't her fault in the slightest.

"I'm just glad no one got hurt." Eve nodded, "Well, not severely hurt." She smiled softly.

"We'll all be good in no time." AJ smiled, "We should be back at work in around two months. And finally, finally everything will be… in some way, normal." AJ nodded, "Those… monsters are off to prison. Everything that has gone on, whether it was to do with Bray and Abigail, or Carter and those four years Punk was gone. We can put it behind us now. Fully behind us." She nodded as Eve smiled.

"It's about time." Eve nodded, "Me and Seth are happy to help out these next few weeks with the girls. I know you and Punk are stubborn and will find a way to manage on your own but… you're not alone." Eve said, "We're here if you need us." She smiled.

"I know." AJ smiled, squeezing her hand tightly, "Thank you for coming to see me." She nodded.

"Well how else could I have given you this gift." Eve said, taking her hand from AJ's as she lifted around the small gift bag.

"Eve." AJ said sternly, not wanting any gifts just for getting shot in the side.

"Oh, it's nothing special. Just some things to comfort you." She waved her hand as AJ looked in the bag and smiled. There were sachets of hot chocolate, a cosy blanket, some new books (they swapped and recommended books all the time), some new pyjamas and some chocolates too.

"You shouldn't have brought anything." AJ shook her head.

"I should have." Eve nodded, "You're my best friend." She smiled.

"Thank you." AJ nodded, sitting the back down and shuffling slowly over, hugging Eve who was careful not to squeeze to tightly, "I'm glad you're here." AJ smiled. Hugs from Punk were always wonderful, but there was just something about having her number one girl friend with her that brought her a lot of joy too.

* * *

"Hi, my daddy wants to buy my mommy a ring." Nova explained, pressing her little hands onto the glass in the jewellery shop she'd ran into. She gazed at all the sparkly jewellery whilst an assistant watched apprehensively as Nova steamed up the glass window a little.

Punk then got into the shop, having regretted letting Nova run on ahead. He crutched his way over to her, nudging her a little to come away from the glass as he smiled at the assistant.

"A ring?" The assistant smiled.

"Uh yeah." Punk nodded, "How did you-" He paused, looking down at Nova who smiled up at him, nodding to himself as the assistant smiled.

"Let me go get a few that we've just gotten in." She said as Punk nodded, watching her go into the back as he turned to Nova.

"I said wait at the door." Punk said, tapping Nova with his crutch.

"Hey, don't." Nova warned as she looked through all the glass panels at the fancy jewellery.

"Stop putting your hands on the glass. You're making it all dirty." He told her.

"My hands aren't dirty." Nova said, taken offence.

"Maybe not but they're still making marks." He showed her as Nova just dismissed him and continued to look around through the glass. He'd decided he'd stop by the jewellers to find the perfect ring for AJ on the way home from picking Nova up.

"Oh, look at the necklace." Nova smiled, fascinated by all the sparkly jewellery, "Daddy, it's almost Christmas."

"You don't like jewellery, don't even try it." Punk told her as Nova huffed.

"I like it now." She huffed, walking over to him.

"You're too little for jewellery." He said.

"But I've got my ears pierced." She said.

"Yeah, well I didn't give you permission for that." Punk said.

"Mommy did." Nova stuck her tongue out, "She said you had your ear pierced, and your tongue, and your lip!" She exclaimed dramatically, "So why can't I?"

"Because you're a baby." Punk told her calmly, knowing it annoyed her.

"I'm not a baby." Nova told him sophisticatedly, "Maggie is the baby."

"She's the youngest baby. You're the oldest baby." Punk said as Nova huffed whilst the sales assistant came back out from the back of the shop.

"Here we have new stock that has just arrived today." The woman smiled, laying out a few boxes and opening them up on top of the counter for Punk to look at whilst Nova crouched up on her tip toes to look too, "I assume this is an engagement ring?" She asked.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, "And I have the sizing." Punk said, having gotten help from Eve via text.

"She'll be a lucky lady." The assistant smiled, "If none catch your eye here then we also have the ring section over in the corner there if you'd like to look there too." She pointed as Punk nodded.

"What do you think, bug?" Punk turned to Nova who was looking at all the rings carefully.

"It has to be sparkly and big." Nova told him, "But not fake."

"I can assure you nothing is fake in here." The assistant smiled.

"I figured." Punk nodded, "I quite like that one." He pointed to one of the rings in the black box. He wasn't an expert on jewellery but he knew what would look good on AJ. It was a gold ring with a huge sapphire diamond in the middle, practically blinding him. It didn't look fake or cheap, in fact, his wallet was crying in his back pocket just at the look of it, but it was a special thing, and he wanted the perfect ring, no matter how much it cost.

"Oh, that's nice. Let me see." Nova said as Punk handed her the box.

"Be careful with it." Punk warned as Nova looked at the ring in the box.

"Mommy will like that." Nova nodded with assurance.

"Yeah?" Punk nodded as the assistant smiled upon the adorableness of Nova.

"Yeah, it's nice and shiny." Nova smiled, handing it carefully back to Punk who looked at it again and nodded.

"I know it's blinding." Punk laughed a little.

"It is a beautiful ring." The assistant nodded, "I'm sure she'll love it." She smiled as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, I think she will." Punk nodded, "Ok, let's go for it then." He nodded, handing the box back over to the assistant who smiled.

"Ok then." The assistant smiled, "I'll put that through for you if you come over to the desk." She smiled as Punk nodded, crutching his way over and taking out his wallet.

"Daddy should we get her matching earrings?" Nova wondered as Punk laughed along with the assistant.

"If you want me to go into debt, yeah, sure." Punk nodded as Nova just turned away with confusion, "I think the ring will be good enough." He said as Nova nodded, looking around whilst Punk got his credit card out.

"She's sweet." The assistant smiled as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, sometimes." He teased, turning back to Nova who was continuing to look around through the glass panels at the jewellery, her backpack still on from school as she held the straps by her shoulder.

"Daddy I really like his necklace." Nova nodded.

"Mhm that's nice." Punk hummed whilst punching in his card number whilst the assistant smiled. Maybe she was smiling because she'd just sold an expensive ring, or perhaps she was smiling at the cuteness of a father and daughter coming in to buy a ring for a lucky woman.

* * *

"What took you so long getting Nova home from school?" AJ asked later that night, slowly walking back into the living room after taking a lot of time to say goodnight to the girls. Dean had dropped Maggie off just before dinner, and AJ was so glad to have the girls back with them again, even though it was hard keeping up with them.

"Oh, Nova wanted an ice-cream." Punk said, prepared to tell her that incase she did ask.

"Seems about right." AJ nodded, slowly taking a seat beside him, "I'm so glad they're both here." She smiled up at him. Having Maggie tucked in, fast asleep in her crib, and Nova likewise in bed was a comforting sight AJ knew she wouldn't get anywhere else in the world, and where the girls were, she felt safe and at home.

"Yeah, me too." Punk smiled, "Hopefully things can get back to normal." He said, kissing the side of her head as she nodded and smiled, "How did it go with Eve?" He asked her.

"Good." AJ nodded, "I'm glad she came. She was so worried that I'd blame her." She shook her head, "But we talked, she stayed for a coffee, it was nice to have a little girl company." She nodded.

"Does she give you company that I can't give you?" Punk gasped teasingly.

"Yes, we talk about periods and boys." AJ told him as he raised a brow, "Kidding. We don't talk about periods." She smirked.

"Oh, but you talk about boys?" Punk nodded as she smiled up at him, placing her hand on his chest.

"I'm just playing." She whispered, gazing up at him with a smile as he looked down at her.

"You can't give me those eyes." He told her quietly.

"Why not?" She whispered, "Invalids can still have sex." She nodded, slowly shuffling herself up, extending her leg over him so she was straddling his hips without pain.

"You must really love me." Punk smirked.

"Certain parts more than others." She smiled, leaning forward and pressing her lips against his as he kissed back gently, feeling her hands pulling at the waistband of his shorts as he carefully lifted his hips for her to shimmy them down with his boxers, "I want you inside me." She begged desperately, slowly shimmying down her sweats and panties, far enough so that there was access. There was an understanding that they couldn't throw one another against the walls, but they couldn't restrain completely.

"Fuck." Punk groaned as he felt her stroke him up and down a few times before she positioned his hard length at her opening, sliding herself onto him as she gripped his shoulders fiercely.

"Fuck, baby." AJ gasped with a smile as Punk watched her, leaning forward and kissing her neck as she slowly moved up and down on him becoming weary of her side where he then started thrusting into her, to save her much movement, "Oh, yeah, baby." AJ moaned longingly, placing her hands around his neck as she pressed her lips back against his, enjoying every single second.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	93. Finally

**Finally**

* * *

2 _months later…_

"They're both in gen pop now. No worries. No problems. Gone." Seth said, slamming down a folder on Punk's desk as Punk looked up from his work.

"Right where they belong." Punk smirked, looking through the folder, "Hopefully Carter is close to Billy, and Bray is close to the anti-child kidnappers." Punk shook his head as Seth nodded.

"Here's hoping." Seth nodded, "Gotta feel good, huh?" He asked, "Knowing they're both gone for life." He said as Punk nodded, leaning back on his chair and stretching.

"Feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders." Punk nodded, "I just hope the courts realise how much they fucked up the first-time round. Bray should have been put in prison the first time, at the trials." He said, "I hope they feel fucking stupid."

"I guarantee they do." Seth nodded, "Where is April at today? I haven't saw her." He said.

"She was in this morning finishing up some things and then she was going for lunch with Eve and Renee." Punk said, "Eve not tell you?"

"Probably." Seth waved his hand, "It's not like her to cut work for something as basic as lunch." Seth said as Punk nodded.

"I know but… ever since we've gotten back we've been taking our time." Punk nodded, "It's not like how it used to be when it was just… looking out for yourself. We've built a family. We've got a home to go to at night." He said, "AJ said she didn't wanna wake up one morning and… have missed times with the girls or her friends because she was so… involved in her work. And I know what she means." Punk nodded.

"You think she's a little scarred? I mean… she almost died." Seth said as Punk nodded.

"Maybe but… for the first time, there's actually nothing to worry about. We've waited a long time to feel like that again." He sighed to himself as Seth smiled.

"Yeah, well it's about time." Seth nodded, "How are the knees doing?" He asked.

"They're ok. I still got physio twice a week and I have exercises to do every night. Nova does them with me." Punk shrugged as Seth laughed, "As long as I can walk properly I'm good. I can always work on strengthening them."

"Yeah, of course." Seth nodded, "So… when is it happening? You know…" Seth eyed him as Punk caught on.

"Oh, uh… tomorrow night. Yeah, I got the whole thing organised. I just hope she doesn't freak out or anything." Punk said, "She said she'd work late tomorrow so it's perfect." He said.

"Aren't you worried that she'll be expecting it since… since well you already both agreed to getting married?" Seth asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't think she'll expect it as such but… she has been dropping hints. She wants to start planning but I know she's holding back." Punk said.

Although they had pretty much said yes to marrying one another, Punk of course was planning to propose, feeling like he had to and also because he wanted to, and he had the perfect set-up that he knew AJ would love.

"You've put a lot of thought into it. It better go how you want it to." Seth smiled.

"You're damn right it better." Punk nodded as Seth smiled, "I'm off out after I finish up this report. You keep the boys in line, right?" He said.

"Yes, boss." Seth smirked, leaving the office.

Punk and AJ had been back at work for a week and although both were eager to get back into a routine and get back to work, they weren't putting every single second of their time into it. AJ no longer needed to have her job to keep her stable… her family kept her stable, and she didn't want to miss any moments with her family or friends.

* * *

"How was lunch?" Punk asked later that night in their kitchen, doing his physio exercises with Nova, squatting and bending his knees as Nova copied without fault.

"Oh my God it was so good." AJ nodded, holding eight-month old Maggie by her hip. She was back on her feet in good health again. Although she had a nasty scar to show for her pain, the pain was no longer there, and she felt so good to be able to be an attentive mom again, "I had a cheeseburger. And it had bacon on it. With onion rings." AJ nodded, "So good." She said whilst keeping an eye on dinner and holding Maggie who was biting her shoulder, in the peak of teething. Poor thing.

"What did you have for lunch?" Punk turned to Nova.

"I had a hot-dog." Nova told him, "I only ate half and gave the other half to the birds." Nova told them as Punk shook his head.

"You need to eat more than half a hot-dog at lunch, Nova." Punk said as Nova jumped up angrily.

"Daddy, I had my apple too, and my candy bar." Nova told him as Punk just nodded.

"Ok ok." Punk put his hands up in defence, "Can I get my nose back?" He teased.

"No." Nova said, "Maybe later." She debated as Punk just smiled, "What's for dinner, mommy?"

"Paella, baby." AJ told her as Nova huffed.

"Oh, we always have that." Nova sighed.

"Yeah, because you love it." AJ shook her head, "It's the one with chicken." She told her as Nova just nodded.

"Ok." Nova agreed, "Is Maggie having some?" Nova asked, abandoning her father and walking over to the kitchen table to take a seat.

"No, she's too little for that." AJ shook her head, "Although, she can have some solids tonight. Can't you, baby?" AJ turned to Maggie who looked up at her with those chocolatey brown eyes, shying away as she pressed her forehead against AJ's shoulder, causing Punk to smile as he walked over to them.

"What's on the menu for Maggie then?" Punk wondered, lifting Maggie from AJ and swinging her from his own hip as Maggie clawed onto him. She always found his face fascinating. No one else's. Just her fathers.

"I figured we try her with sweet potato tonight. What do you think?" AJ asked Punk.

"I think she'll hate it but why not." Punk smiled to Maggie who giggled at him. She had been a little tricky to feed now that she was moving onto solids. She enjoyed her fruit such as bananas and peaches and apples, of course mushed down, but the vegetables weren't a favourite.

"She's gotta like something at one point." AJ said, plating up dinner for them whilst Punk put Maggie in her high chair by the table where she enjoyed to sit and watch everyone.

"You got homework, kid?" Punk asked Nova.

"I've done it." Nova explained, "Can I have a piece of bread with mine please?" Nova asked.

"Of course you can." AJ smiled, "Phil, do her a slice of bread, will you?" AJ asked as Punk nodded, helping AJ out with finishing dinner off, putting it down on the table, giving Nova the bread she desired with her dinner as they then went back to fixing up some dinner for Maggie.

"Ace." Nova whispered as Ace got up from the kitchen door, trotting over to her eagerly, "Shh. Don't tell." Nova patted his head, giving him half of her slice of bread as Ace quickly ate it causing Nova to smile, all the while Maggie watched her sister, "Don't you tell either." Nova whispered, pointing to Maggie who just giggled.

"What's going on over there?" AJ asked.

"Nothing." Nova hummed, tucking into her dinner as Punk and AJ were oblivious whilst fixing Maggie her sweet potato.

They finally both sat down, Punk sitting at the edge so he could feed Maggie whilst he ate, "Ok, let's see how you like this." Punk said to himself as AJ watched with hope.

Punk took a small spoonful of the sweet potato, coaxing it to Maggie who opened up and took the potato easily, eating it curiously as they all watched her. She finished the first spoonful and then banged her fists off the high chair table, eager for more as AJ raised her eyebrows.

"She likes it?" AJ smiled.

"Finally." Nova groaned.

"Hey, she likes it." Punk smiled, "You want some more, baby?" Punk smiled, giving her another spoonful as she took it hungrily. Who knew they'd get so excited over Maggie eating some sweet potato.

* * *

The next night, AJ was working late whilst Punk was out on patrol with Dean. They agreed that they would work one or two late nights, as some things had to be done at night, and were easily picked up on. The girls were with Dan who was also back to good health, and had made a great recovery from his stabbing.

"When you gonna call her?" Dean asked as they pulled up outside the park, where the only form of light was through the pathway on the light posts every few footsteps. There was no one there given it was 9pm, and since fall was upon them, it was dark and cold.

"Once my dad texts." Punk said.

"Nervous?" Dean smiled to him.

"Yeah, but I don't know why… Like… I know we're gonna get married." He said.

"I know but… it's still a big thing." Dean smiled, "Why'd you choose here anyway? Why not… Why not a restaurant? Or a bar? Or the house?" He asked.

"She had her first chase through this park." Punk said, "I remember it. I know she does. It was the time where… I told her to take the left and she took the right." He smiled to himself, "We ran all the way through the park and once we figured we'd lost our guy, we… we started yelling at each other." He laughed to himself, "She said I was putting too much pressure on her and I told her she had to handle the pressure if she wanted to be a cop." He said as Dean smiled, "She… She told me she was bipolar here too." He said.

" _April, it's 2am." Punk shook his head as he zipped his jacket up, finding AJ sitting on the bench in the park. She'd called him. Told him she needed to meet with him. That it was urgent. He immediately thought it was work but, she appeared without any gun or cuffs. She'd been with the force for a year, and was no longer his rookie as such, but now more so his partner._

" _I… I couldn't sleep." AJ shook her head, chittering with how cold it was._

" _Why'd you come out here without a jacket?" Punk shook his head, sitting down next to her on the bench._

" _Did I?" AJ shook her head, unaware as she looked at her goosebumps on her arms._

" _Here." He whispered, taking his jacket off and wrapping it over her shoulders as she smiled to him gratefully, "What happened to you yesterday? You didn't even call in to say you weren't gonna be in." Punk said._

" _I-I couldn't… I couldn't come in." AJ shook her head._

" _Why?" Punk asked._

" _I just… I couldn't." She shook her head. She'd called him because the voice in her head told her to. That he was the only person she could really trust with her secret. That he was her only form of comfort._

" _Ok." Punk said suspiciously, "So why did you call me here? I was sleeping." Punk informed her._

" _What-What time is it?" AJ wondered._

" _It's 2:20am." Punk said as AJ's eyes widened. She had no idea it was so late._

" _I-I'm sorry." AJ shook her head, "I shouldn't have called you so late." AJ gasped._

" _Well why did you call?" Punk asked her, "It must have been for a reason." He said, suddenly noticing her hands were shaking and she seemed overly apprehensive, like she could hear every single sound there was in the cold night, "April, is everything ok?" He asked. They'd worked together for long enough, for him to know they were comfortable around each other, and he was more than happy to comfort her if she needed it._

" _Uh… no… no." AJ shook her head, looking up at him, "No, it's not ok." AJ told him as he shook his head._

" _What is it?" He asked, "Are you in trouble? You can tell me. You can… You can trust me." He nodded as AJ gulped and nodded along with him._

 _She figured as her partner, there were times where, he might have started to suspect things, like why she sometimes didn't turn up to work randomly, or why she'd be up through the entire night, or why she'd stay at the station until she got kicked out._

" _I uh…" AJ clasped her hands together, pulling them apart to clutch his jacket around her tighter, "Have you… Have you noticed anything different about me? Compared to… compared to the average person?" She asked first of all._

" _What do you mean?" Punk shook his head, "No. Of course I haven't."_

" _You're sure?" She asked him as he looked in her eyes._

" _Maybe recently you've seemed a little off." Punk nodded, "You seem… on edge." He said, "Why? Is something wrong?" He asked. He was starting to worry now._

" _I'm bipolar." AJ said as Punk looked at her, "Mom has it. I have it." She nodded, "And you are… you are now the only person in the station who knows." She made clear, looking at the ground as Punk looked at her._

" _Bipolar?" Punk said._

" _Yes." AJ looked up at him, turning away again, scared incase he'd storm off, or laugh, or call Walter, or do anything besides doing what she really wanted him to do… the one thing he did do._

" _Ok." Punk nodded as her head shot up, "And you're… you're having trouble with it?" He wondered as she tilted her head._

" _I'm bipolar." AJ repeated as Punk nodded._

" _I heard you." Punk said, "What-What can I do to help you?" He asked her as her mouth slightly gaped open. She'd never had such a normal, mundane response from someone. Her mother was impossible to talk to. Her sister was never around long enough to talk to about her bipolar. Eve had even taken a little while to get used to it._

" _Meeting me in a park at 2am is already… all the help I will need." She said as Punk smiled._

" _Is it… is it something you treat on your own?" He asked as she looked across at him, still in disbelief that he was being so calm._

" _I… Yeah, I have medication, and I see a doctor every week." She nodded, "But with work, stress sort of triggers me a little and… sometimes I can't get out of bed and other times I can't part ways with work at the station." She shook her head, "I just… I don't want you to start suspecting things if I ever… act a certain way. You're my partner. You should know." She nodded._

" _Technically Walter should know too." Punk advised as AJ shook her head._

" _Please." She said, "I just… I just want you and Eve to know. I… I trust you." She nodded as he smiled, patting her leg friendlily._

" _I got you." Punk smiled comfortingly as she smiled with relief, "C'mon. It's freezing out here. I'll make you hot chocolate back at my place." He said as she smiled, both of them getting up as he wrapped his arm around her, like a brother wrapping his arm around his sister._

 _She couldn't think of anyone who had accepted her for who she was as much as he had. He was one of her best friends. Perhaps, thee best._

"You calling now?" Dean asked as he saw Punk taking his phone out.

"Yeah." Punk nodded, calling AJ and raising his phone to his ear, waiting on her picking up.

"What's up?" AJ answered as Punk put on his out of breath voice.

"Ape… Ape, we need you down at the park. I can't get a hold of anyone else. We've got a runner. A few. We need more cops." He said as Dean tried not to laugh.

"The park?" AJ asked, already grabbing her things and leaving her office.

"Yeah, the park. We need you there right now. Right now." He said.

"Ok. I'll be there." AJ said, hanging up as Punk put his phone back in his pocket and got out of the car.

"Break a leg." Dean nodded as Punk waved his hand, closing the car door over and walking down the pathway of the park.

It didn't take AJ very long to get to the park, quickly getting out of her car and running down the pathway out of breath, finding Punk standing quite calmly in front of their usual bench.

"Hey." AJ gasped, putting her hands in the air with confusion, "What's going on?" She asked him breathlessly, "I thought you said you had a guy?"

"I think he got away." Punk smiled as AJ just shook her head.

"And you're smiling because?" She waited.

"Because you're here." Punk smiled.

"Phil, we need to…" She paused, looking around at how dead silent the park was, "Was there anyone even here?" She wondered suddenly, starting to become a little confused.

"No." Punk shook his head as she looked up at him wearily, "I just needed you here fast." He smiled, taking her hands in his as she looked up at him.

"Phil, what is going on?" She asked.

"Nothing." He smiled, "That's what's so good about it." He smiled as she looked up at him, still a little suspicious, "I know we pretty much settled this but… I'd say we gotta make it official, you know?" He smiled as she looked up at him, "We sat on that bench a long, long time ago and I said three words to you that I promise I will always stick by." He said as she turned to the bench and smiled, watching as he got down on one knee, grinning to herself as she placed her hands over her mouth.

"Phil." She whispered to herself.

"April." Punk smiled, taking the ring out and opening up the box that it sat in, "I got you for life." He smirked, "Will you marry me?" He said as AJ smiled, already nodding her head immediately.

"Yes." AJ nodded, "Yes of course I will." She said as he smiled, taking the ring out of the box, sliding it onto her finger as she looked at it with so much joy, "I love you." She smiled tearfully as he got to his feet, pressing his lips against hers as she clung to him tightly, the feeling of the ring on her finger already feeling like it had been there forever.

They kissed passionately, in their own little private bubble for a few minutes. The best part about it, was that AJ hadn't suspected a single thing. She knew they'd agreed to marriage, but it really was official now.

Whilst they embraced one another, AJ suddenly heard 'mommy' echoing through the park as she quickly turned around to the entrance of the park, watching as Nova ran ahead of everyone, smiling to herself as she crouched down to catch her in her arms.

Dan was also there with Maggie in his arms. Renee had joined Dean. Seth and Eve were there. Rocky too.

"Did you like the ring, mommy?" Nova smiled, pressing her hands on her mother's cheeks, looking at the ring on her finger, "I helped daddy pick it." She smiled proudly.

"Baby, I love it so much." AJ smiled tearfully.

"Why are you crying?" Nova asked worriedly as AJ dried her tears.

"Because I'm so happy." AJ told her as Nova smiled. She stood back up straight, smiling upon her friends and family joining them, embracing Dan first along with Maggie, meanwhile the rest of the guys embraced Punk also.

"Congratulations, sweetheart." Dan smiled, kissing her cheek softly as AJ smiled. She didn't think she'd be so overwhelmed and emotional, but she really was. Having their family and friends. A family they'd built up on their own. A family she had that mended her from the distress of her own broken family. It meant everything. This moment meant everything.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you think! The story is coming to an end. Stay tuned for the final chapter.**


	94. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

 _One year later…_

"I feel like I'm gonna vomit." AJ groaned, standing in the bathroom, gripping the sides of the sink as she took deep breaths. She felt like her dress was suffocating her, even though she absolutely adored it ever since she saw it tucked away behind all the fancier ones. It was plain but gorgeous, clinging to all her curves and sprawling out just a little at the bottom.

"If you're gonna be sick make sure you don't get anything on your dress!" Eve called in from the room as AJ gulped, looking up and into the mirror. She did feel like a princess, even though she assured herself that it would feel like any other day. She was shocked at how nervous she actually was, "C'mon. You've popped two of his kids out. Now you're frightened to marry him?" Eve stood outside the bathroom, "We're already 10 minutes late." She cared to tell AJ who nodded.

"Just… Just give me a second." AJ said, folding her hands down her dress as she looked in the mirror.

They'd flew out to California a week ago. They were having a small wedding on the beach with just their close family and friends. Dean, Renee, Seth, Eve, Tyler, Rocky, Dan, Susan (Dan's plus one), Vanessa and Cheryl in other words. There were also a few other guests who had flown out to come to the wedding such as other cops from the station, David, Nova's therapist, AJ's long-term doctor, Nancy, and some other people they were familiar with. And of course her husband to be and their daughters.

They decided to make their wedding a vacation for the girls too, and had spent the past week in California at the beach, water-parks, shopping, restaurants. All of that fun stuff.

AJ got herself together and opened up the bathroom door as Eve smiled upon her.

"April, you're gorgeous." Eve smiled as AJ took a deep breath, "C'mon, let's get you married." She said as AJ smiled, taking Eve's hand as they left the hotel room where they had spent all morning getting ready with Renee.

The hotel was right across from the beach, which was easy for them to get across to.

Meanwhile, across at the beach, everyone was waiting around. One-and-a-half-year-old Maggie was residing on Rocky's lap, babbling away to herself, eager to get onto the sand and stumble around but Rocky kept good grips on her and kept her entertained. Seven-year-old Nova was sitting beside her father, swinging her legs back and forth, dressed in a light blue dress, a hairband to match but rocking her white converse, as her mother had encouraged.

"Why is your leg shaking?" Nova raised a brow as her father's leg was vibrating beside hers.

"Because I'm nervous." Punk told her.

"For what?" Nova asked.

"Well… you know, to see your mom." He said.

"You see her all the time, daddy." Nova laughed.

"I know but… today is different." Punk told her, "It's a special day today." He smiled as she just nodded. She was growing up so fast and Punk hated it. Both of them were. Not that long ago he felt like Maggie was just a little bundle, and Nova was still just a little kid, but within the past year, he felt like they were growing up extremely fast. Maggie had spoken some of her first words and taken a few of her first steps, and Nova… well, Nova was still Nova, but she was growing up, having just turned seven not that long ago.

"Why are we doing this on the beach?" Nova asked, picking at her dress which was beginning to itch her a little.

"Because me and mommy wanted it on the beach." Punk explained. When deciding where they wanted their wedding, they decided they wanted it out of Chicago, so they could make a vacation of it with their friends, hence why they had come out a week early to pre-celebrate. AJ wanted it somewhere sunny, and Punk couldn't have thought of a more relaxing scene than the beach. They had a gazebo set up along the beach for the after-party.

Punk watched as Eve appeared at the top of the aisle, nodding to him as he got to his feet, standing over next to the reverend with Dean, appointed his best man. He did have butterflies, but they were good butterflies. He felt like everything they had ever done had led to this very moment, and he couldn't wait to see her.

He turned his head, watching as she appeared with his father on her arm, walking her down. She was planning to walk alone, but Dan insisted, and AJ felt like it was right considering he really was the only dad she'd ever have.

Punk couldn't believe that not only was he getting to marry such a beautiful, smart, strong woman. But he was marrying his best friend, and nothing could have beaten that.

She was stunning, and she didn't even know it. He couldn't take his eyes from her the entire time she walked down the aisle. He even heard Nova turn to Seth and ask him if that was her mother, gasping at how alike she was to the princesses she would watch on TV.

"She's like Giselle, Maggie." Nova whispered, turning to Maggie who was sat on Rocky's knee beside her whilst Maggie grabbed onto the sides of her sister's dress.

AJ gave Eve her flowers and finally faced Punk, smiling up at him as he smiled back.

"Hi." Punk smiled.

"Hey." AJ whispered, looking over at her daughters as Nova waved to her, smiling and waving back as Punk smiled.

"Are we ready?" The reverend asked.

"Yeah." AJ smiled, taking his hands in hers.

"Yeah." Punk nodded. Not taking his eyes off her for a second.

* * *

The wedding was a success, and they were finally married. Whilst people spoke and danced the night away, AJ and Punk enjoyed sitting on the couch area, her dress covered legs draped over his lap whilst he sat with his two buttons undone, his tie and suit coat discarded on a chair somewhere. The sound of the tide coming in nearby alongside the music and the chatter was beautiful, and AJ felt like she was floating on a cloud. It had been the best day.

"I was so nervous today." She admitted to him like it was a sin as he turned to her, "I locked myself in the bathroom."

"I was pretty nervous too." Punk agreed, "Doesn't seem so scary now." He said.

"I feel like we've always been married it's just… never been official and… we've never had the rings." She shrugged, looking at her two rings on her fingers with a smile, "I'll have to get the sign on my office door changed." She said, "Detective Brooks is coming through." She smirked as he smiled to her.

"Sounds better anyway." He smiled to her, "I'm glad we came out here to do it. It was perfect." He nodded.

"Yeah." AJ smiled, "I bet the pictures are great. The photographer got so many of Maggie and Nova. I'm so excited to see them." She grinned to herself.

"Yeah they'll be good." Punk smiled, watching over at the dancefloor area where Seth was twirling Nova around dizzy, other people up dancing including Dean and Renee. Even Ace who had flown out with them was laying down over by one of the tables, keeping an eye on things like the good guard dog he was. Mostly keeping an eye on Nova. There was just a great atmosphere in the air, and everything felt exactly how it should have felt. Perfect.

"It only took us eight years of dating. Two children and a dozen near-death experiences to do it." AJ smiled to him as he nodded.

"We got there in the end." He said as she nodded and smiled, "Are you gonna speak Spanish to me tonight?" He smirked over at her.

"Oh, baby. All night." AJ nodded as he smiled, "We're only gonna have one wedding night." She said as he smirked.

"Now I just want all these people to leave." Punk groaned teasingly as she smiled.

"No… No I like this." AJ nodded, looking around at everyone having a good time. There was no longer worry hanging around them. All the people who had been put in their way to try and hurt them or their children were exactly where they were supposed to be, and they were there, enjoying this moment with their family. This perfect moment that no one could ever take away from them.

"There you are." Rocky said, holding Maggie in his arms who was sleepy, and once spotting her mother, her arms reached down to her, "I think she's ready for bed." He said as AJ smiled, extending her arms out as Rocky handed her down into AJ's arm.

"Hi, puddin." AJ whispered, kissing Maggie's head as the one-year-old curled into her on the couch, "Thanks, Rock." AJ smiled up at Rocky.

"You two look comfortable over here." Rocky nodded, "Good day?" He asked them.

"The best." AJ smiled, running her head softly over the back of Maggie's head as the little girl curled into her, drifting off into a safe sleep.

"It's been great." Punk nodded, "And the night is still young." He said as Rocky nodded.

"It is indeed." Rocky smiled, "I better go. I promised Eve a dance." He told them as Punk and AJ nodded with a smile. Although it was their wedding, they were very much enjoying sitting back together and watching how beautiful it all was. To have everyone they cared about together, celebrating with them, in such a beautiful location. It really was perfect.

"She sleeping?" Punk looked on at Maggie, who had now been changed into her pj's, fast asleep curled into AJ, whilst AJ kept her legs draped over Punk's lap.

"Yeah, she's asleep." AJ smiled, kissing Maggie's head softly as Punk smiled, watching as Nova ran over to them.

"Daddy. Daddy, can you come dance with me?" Nova asked, tugging on her father's hand as AJ smiled.

"Oh, I'm a terrible dancer." Punk teased.

"Oh, but please." Nova sighed, "I wanna dance with you." She said as Punk smiled.

"Oh, alright then." Punk nodded, "You good?" He turned to AJ.

"I'm great." AJ smiled, cradling Maggie into her as Punk sat up from the couch and was dragged away over to the dancing area by Nova.

AJ sat on the white cushioned couch, holding Maggie close to her as the toddler slept peacefully in her arms, and she watched as Punk spun Nova around, playfully dancing with her as she felt herself chuckling every time he spun her around.

There had been so many times where giving up seemed like the better option. So many times where she just felt hopeless, as did Punk. But they never gave up. Everything worked out exactly how it was supposed to, and as she cradled her daughter in her arms, watching her husband with her eldest daughter amongst their friends and family… she'd never felt more lucky.

* * *

 **A/N: That's a wrap! I've kept this story opened a little in certain areas for another possible sequel but I'm still not sure what I'm doing yet. I've had so much fun writing this and I almost don't want to part ways with it, so there might be another sequel in the future, who knows? But thank you so much for following the story and reviewing! I've loved all your comments and I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Keep an eye out for more of my work, whether it's a new story or another part to this, I'm not sure yet, maybe you could let me know? Thanks again. Much love.**


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